Mike's Cinderella story
by What'dIMiss
Summary: We've all read at least one cliché Cinderella story. This is not one of them. Because the main character is Mike. And his life is about to go straight down the drain. AU. He does not have MPD. Rated T because of character death(wouldn't be a Cinderella story without it), suggestion of abuse, etc. Going for eventual Mella(MikexElla). Cover image made by Dark Angel of Sorrow Returns.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey y'all! It's another story! Woohoo! I can't stop making these, can I?(nope!)**

 **This one will actually be quite a few chapters. This is essentially the prologue.**

 **This story started from taking the plot of Cinderella and flipping it so the guy has the evil step-family instead of the girl. I began writing it in February.**

 **Please enjoy!**

Once upon some time in some place ago,

Mike lived happily in a large house on a hill with his mother, father and older brother. They weren't rich, but they had enough to be content. His father worked as a messenger to the king, often leaving for weeks to send messages back and forth between the small village nearby and the castle.

Mike's brother, Mal, was the troublemaker of the two. He was two years older than Mike, yet they were almost identical. Both handsome youths with skinny, muscular bodies, tan skin and dark eyes. Mal suffered from chronic insomnia, so his eyes were always underlined with bags. Nevertheless, he had unfaltering energy.

One day, Mal left with their father on one of his trips to see the king, and never returned.

When a different messenger brought the news to the house, Mike's mother was drowned in a well of sorrow, convinced her son was brutally murdered by robbers on the road. Mike wasn't convinced that his brother was dead, merely missing, as he wept beside his mother and father.

His father would rarely speak after he returned from that dreadful trip. Even when pried with questions by Mike and his mother, he would never say what happened to Mal, if he even knew.

Nearly a year later, once again he left on the same trip, and disappeared. Mike, only eleven years old, was now the man of the house, whether he liked it or not.

Fast forward about five years. They had barely survived on Mike working part-time as an actor at a local theater. He'd played parts from an explorer to a gymnast to everything in between. His mother worked a little as a launder, but she made even less than Mike did.

Mike always kept a positive outlook on life in front of his mother, but come night, he'd kneel on the floor in front of his lost brother's bed and slowly cry himself to sleep. He slowly began to give up his little hope that Mal would ever come back.

Those hopes fell lower when one day...

"Michael, I think it's time we had some more people in this lonesome house. We can't keep living in the past. I just met this wonderful man in the village. He runs a small business there. He asked me to marry him! As long as you're okay with it, of course," Mike's mother announced in the living room as Mike was sketching an outline for the costume he was supposed to design himself for an upcoming production, dressed simply in a bright blue shirt and dark pants. He was going to play an old man living with his five annoying grandchildren.

"As long as you're happy, I'm happy." Mike tried to smile sincerely, and hide his inhibitions well enough his mother wouldn't notice them. He hugged his mother and let a sad tear escape from his eye.

"I'm glad. He's coming here tomorrow. He really wants to meet you. Has sons of his own, you know. They're around your age. I think you'll like them."

The man she brought home, and not much later married, was indeed a successful yet self-centered businessman named Noah. He had unmeasurable intelligence, a work ethic that seemed superhuman, and a hard look of disapproval nearly set permanently on his face. He had warmly tanned skin, shoulder-length black hair, and cold dark eyes stained with grief. He mumbled most of his speech, except when speaking to Mike's mother, but he was still serious. He was a widower, who'd brought his two unpleasant sons with him, Scott and Vito.

Scott and Vito were brothers, yet they looked nothing alike, and they fought each other like cat and mouse. The only thing they agreed upon: it sure was fun to torture Mike.

Vito was a muscular lad who spoke with an accent used by the tough thugs on the streets, and had tan skin and long dark hair like his father's that he slicked back. Scott, on the other hand, bore no resemblance to his father, with short orange hair, pale freckled skin, and devious eyes that were made for scheming.

Mike had been convinced that Scott was adopted, but the answer was beaten into him by Vito: Scott's mother had been a servant of Noah's, a guard who'd raped him in the darkness of a closet after they had a short one-night fling together that went a little too far. She unfortunately got pregnant, and died shortly after giving birth to Scott. Noah raised him alongside Vito, his real son with his wife, who didn't want Scott but who loved Noah enough to tolerate him.

Back to living conditions… After they were wed, Mike's mother had welcomed Noah and sons to their home with open arms. The boys had decided to take up residence in the seemingly vacant upstairs bedrooms. There were three bedrooms total: Mike's, what was Mal's, and the parent's bedroom. Noah took the office space downstairs and slammed the door.

Scott had called use of Mal's room, and Vito had called use of Mike's, neither realizing it. As they scaled the spiral staircase and reached for the door knobs, Mike yelled, "Wait!"

Both brothers turned their heads. Scott spoke first, his hand on the knob ready to intrude. "What, Mike? This your dress-up room? Do you use it to practice your 'characters?' What a loser!" He high-fived Vito.

"No. First of all, you can't go in there." Mike pointed to Mal's bedroom door. " That's reserved for someone else. If I catch you in there…" He loudly exhaled, then left it at that and walked to his room. "This one is my room. If you want to use it, you could just ask. I'm a reasonable person."

"Fine. May I use your room, please?" asked Scott insincerely, earning a snicker from Vito.

"Sure, you can use it. I could sleep in…"

"The attic! You have an attic in this dump of a house, right? Take your stuff and get the hell out!" Scott shoved Mike into the bedroom.

Mike was at his wit's end. He didn't think he could stand living with those two… jerks for much longer. He started to wonder what his mother saw in Noah, why she wasn't willing to wait for his father to come back. Not that he ever would…

He was stuck moving out of his room, the room he'd lived in for his entire life. The room he and Mal had shared briefly while Mal's room was being done. The room he'd rehearsed his plays in, where he'd dreamed of performing for the nobility, of meeting a girl who'd take his breath away….

He collected his things and left the room, earning a door slammed behind him as soon as he did so. He started to walk towards the staircase leading up to the attic, but as he passed the door that led to Mal's room, he couldn't help but feel like he was leaving him behind.

 **Ok! That's done. See you next chapter! Please leave a review if you want to. .**


	2. Chapter 2(ish)

**A/N: Hey y'all! More words for your eyes to read! Woo!**

 **This is basically part two of the prologue(and the last sort of happy section for a LONG time)Because it's so short , I might post the next one sooner, maybe Friday? Or not.**

 **Enjoy! And special thanks to smilingagged, SideshowJazz1, and Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the first chapter.:-)**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Total Drama, these characters, or Cinderella.**

Up in the attic, where Mike had never been in any of his 16 years, it was drafty but spacious, with a large window in the ceiling and a smaller one in the wall facing the road. He walked up to it and gazed on the pathway leading to the house. He sighed.

"Well, 'guess I should try and make this place more like home," Mike said to himself as he pulled an old bed from a pile of dusty boxes. He patted out the crusted dust and shifted it to the middle of the floor and up against the back wall facing the door. He spread the things from his room around; a small table with the scripts from all the plays he'd done on the side of the bed, a bookshelf on one wall with his sketchbooks, novels and a few other things. After rearranging everything, it started to feel like this attic was his. He breathed in the musty air with gusto. "Time to start rehearsing without those two interrupting."

He began to warm up his voice as he re-read his lines again for the tenth time. He got himself into character, a practice he had perfected over five years of semi-professional acting.

Hunched over and with one eye shut, Mike began. "Now listen here, you little punks. I'm trying. to take a nap! Kids these days… can't sit still. Kendra, can you tell them to pipe down?"

Mike switched voices to match the voice of one of his co-actors, Dakota. "Sorry, Grandpa, I was busy preparing to go hunting! You know the animals are going to hibernate soon."

"Bah! Back in my day, girls didn't hunt. They stayed in, washing dishes and caring for all the insubordinate children. Speaking of which, where the devil is your brother?"

"Which one?"

* * *

As he continued to rehearse his part, Scott and Vito crept to the attic entrance, and were prepared to run up the staircase and scare Mike senseless. However, when they heard him talking to people in weird voices, they thought twice.

"Ey yo, how many people are up there?" Vito wondered out loud

"One. Mike's the only up one here besides us." Scott confirmed.

"We have a bro who talks to himself! Ha!"

A"He must be crazy." Scott turned away from the door.

"Yea, or stupid."

Scott lightly punched Vito's arm. "He's smarter than you."

"Ey! That was uncalled for, bro." Vito rubbed where Scott punched him.

"No, it was." Scott starts laughing, then ran away as his brother chased him down the hallway.

Mike heard the whole thing and laughed to himself. Then, putting his script down and sitting himself on his bed, he wrote a new letter to Mal.

 _Hey, Mal._

 _How are you? Good? Bad? Still Malevolent?_

 _Things here are barely tolerable. We now have two idiotic step-brothers, and a step-dad who's never around and has barely said a word to me._

 _Your room is still undisturbed. I kept Scott from laying claim to it. But now I'm stuck living in the attic with nothing but my thoughts and my dreams. And you, I guess._

 _My acting is getting a lot better. I'm working on a show about a girl who lives with her cranky grandpa and her four half-brothers. Can you imagine? I'm playing the grandfather. I wish you were here to help me rehearse like you used to..._

 _I miss you all of every day. Please come home soon._

 _Your brother and partner in crime,_

 _Mike_

Mike's eyes welled up as he signed his name. He let a few tears fall onto the paper and blur the ink. He didn't care, because no one would ever read it.

He tore it out of the notebook, folded the letter into a perfect square, and placed it in a box he had for storing the other letters he wrote to Mal. He had written one every day since Mal left on the trip. He then let his longing and loneliness pour out in the form of tears.

 **Nothin like leavin' you off with a character in tears. And they're not the last.**

 **Review if you feel so moved, and see y'all next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3(more like 2)

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! Here's a short but sad chapter for your Monday(or whenever you're reading this).** **This is where that T rating starts to kick in.**

 **Thanks to smilingagged and Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter** **and Dark Angel of Sorrow Returns for reviewing the first :)**

 **Try to enjoy!**

It was a seemingly normal morning when it happened, barely a month into the marriage. Mike was in his attic, putting the finishing touches on his costume design. He smiled at his handiwork. He couldn't wait to show his mother. He had worked for over a month on it, and he anticipated his director's opinion.

"Mike! Where are you?!" Noah suddenly called out frantically.

Mike looked up to hear Noah climb the stairs up to the attic. "What is it?"

Noah breathed heavily, as he was not very athletic and had raced up the tall staircase at full speed. "It's… Your mother."

Mike's eyes widened. He dropped the sketchbook and pen on the bed.

He followed his step-father downstairs to find his mother on the wood floor of the kitchen, coughing uncontrollably. A tray of food lay scattered on the floor beside her.

The fit ceased briefly, enough for her to look up and offer a weak smile to her son and husband,her mouth blotted with dark red. She coughed again, this time blood coming out.

"Please, let us take you to your room, Kate." Noah tried to help his wife up, but her legs were too weak to hold her. She collapsed again, coughing up blood.

"No, leave me. Please." She then told Noah to go tell his sons her time was short. After he reluctantly walked out, she grabbed Mike's arm and stared into his eyes.

"Mike… Promise me you will take care of this place when I'm gone. For me, for your father, for Mal…" More coughing. "And, please, take care of Noah. He needs all the love he can get, and his sons won't give it to him. I swear, there is a great man inside him you can't see."

"No! You can't go. Please, Mother, let me help you to the couch.."

"Don't give up acting. It can be your greatest strength…." She mumbled and slurred her words as Mike placed her on the parlor couch. He covered her up to her face with a blanket. He offered a kind smile to his dying mother.

"Michael, come closer…." Mike lowered himself to her level and held her hand. Her tan skin was now pale, her touch weak. "Stay brave. Stay kind. Stay…." Her head tilted back and hers eyes closed. Mike cried into the blanket that covered his now-dead mother, still holding her lifeless hand.

Noah came in with Scott and Vito in tow. They all stopped and stared as Mike continued to cry, unaware of their presence.

When his eyes finally dried up, he stood up slowly, covered his mother's face with the blanket, and turned to the people whom he had no blood relation but were his only family now.

"Well? Are you going to say anything? At all?'I'm sorry for your loss? Sucks you don't have any more real family?' Come on, give me something!" he said, almost desperately, as he began to yell despite his throat being dry as a desert.

Noah closed his eyes and let tears roll down. As he wept, his face turned from sorrow to anger. "I can't believe how ungrateful you are, Michael. You lost both your parents, yes, but you still have a home, someone to keep you alive and healthy. Don't think I feel nothing, I feel EVERYTHING. You are a disgrace, and will not disrespect her that way!"

"Disrespect? You think I'm disrespectful? You were the one who came here and, and…" Mike wasn't sure what Noah did; in fact, he had don't nothing wrong. No one was at fault here, except… Mal and his father. If they hadn't disappeared, maybe she'd still be alive…

I have to get out of here. Clear my head.

Mike shut his mouth into a firm line, which quivered as he felt himself crying again. He ran out of the room, up the stairs and, to no one's surprise, fell in front of Mal's bed sobbing.

"This isn't happening to me… It CAN'T be!" Mike choked out between his tears.

"Why does everyone I love leave me?"

 **This seemed longer when I first wrote it...oh well.**

 **So, that happened! This is probably not the last chapter where Mike is crying by the end(tho it might be, IDK)**

 **Review! It is always appreciated. :) See y'all next Monday.**


	4. Chapter 4(might as well be 5 too)

**A/N: Guess what? It's Monday! Update day! Woo!**

 **Warning: This chapter is long. And contains some physical violence. It's pretty minor. Well, not really.**

 **Thanks to Liz the Sweet Writer, digimon100, Bloodylilcorpse, and Dark Angel of Sorrow Returns for reviewing the last chapter.:)**

 **Enjoy!**

The next day passed by. Then a week. Then a month. Life in the house got worse. And worse. Aaand worse.

Noah was continuously shutting himself in his office, the only sounds emanating from under the door being his muttering to himself and the shuffling of many papers. He rarely came out to eat or sleep, so he ordered that food be brought to him. Scott nor Vito knew about about anything to do with housework or cooking. Voot was too dumb to handle the cookware, and anything Scott made was disgusting and unrecognizable as food.

Mike, on the other hand, had learned how to cook from his mother, and understood well enough how to clean. He was posthaste declared the manservant of the house by his stepbrothers, and Noah didn't even try to argue against it. Mike was left to do all the work while Scott and Vito pestered him every day as normal, but it stung more now they thought him beneath them.

Noah still appeared to bear great resentment at Mike(when he did emerge from his office), though as to why, Mike couldn't figure out. He'd sit in his attic contemplating it in the moments he had spare time before rushing out of the house for rehearsal.

It was now the final week before the play would be performed, and the director, Trent, had excitedly claimed he may be able to arrange a performance for some nobility in the capital, if the play was successful. Mike had nearly cried from excitement. That had been a dream of his for a long time, ever since he'd started acting when he was younger.

But one day that week, as Mike took off his apron and readied himself for his second to last rehearsal, beginning to pull off his shirt-

"MIKE! GET DOWN HERE NOW OR I'M COMING UP THERE!" the voice of his now uncharacteristically angry and loud stepfather startled him. He looked down at his clothes, still covered in dust, grime and food splatters. Oh well, he'd change before he left. It's not like anyone important would see him.

He quickly checked his face in a nearby mirror. It was caked with dust that contrasted his tan skin. His hair was dusted as well, and he had put it in a bandana to keep it out of his face.

He hurried down the attic stairs two at a time, stopping his momentum as he gripped the doorway and peered into the second floor hall. No one, though Scott and Vito's door was opened. Mike slowly went down the next set of stairs into the living room.

He was met with a small but intensive congregation. His eyes first spotted Noah, Scott, and Vito standing together. Noah was death-glaring him, and Vito and Scott were poking at each other to pass the time.

A stranger, tall, tan, looking maybe a little younger than Noah, stood opposite. He was holding a suitcase with papers sticking out and wearing a sly grin that suggested he was there to discuss financial matters. And they were not necessarily in the family's favor.

"Mike, this is Alejandro. He works in legal and… financial matters," Noah said bitterly as he darted his eyes between him and Al. "He's here to discuss your mother's will."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mike. I think we will be good friends, si?" Alejandro held out his free hand, smiling sincerely. Mike reluctantly took it and Al gripped his tightly, giving Mike a once-over as he did so, holding back a look of disgust. "You look familiar," Al said suspiciously as he narrowed his eyes. "Do you have a brother?" He said it like he knew the answer, but was making sure of it.

Mike was a little confused. Why would this guy recognize him? He'd never seen him in his life. "..Yes. I do. They're right here." He cringed as he pointed to Scott and Vito.

"No, no, not them. A biological brother." Alejandro clarified.

"Oh. I did…" Mike felt strangely compelled to tell this guy everything. Maybe it was the way Alejandro's blue eyes gave him a feeling of….security. He didn't have to hide anything.

"Did?" Al mimicked.

"He-he disappeared years ago. Haven't heard from him since. He's probably dead." Mike felt a stray tear go down his face. He wiped it off, and looked back up at the older man who still had hold of his hand.

"Hmm. Are you sure he's dead?"

"N-no."

"Good, because he's not."

Mike's eyes widened. "Wh-what? Mal's alive?" Mike couldn't believe it. After six years of desperate and nearly fruitless hope, his brother was ALIVE?

Al grimly nodded. He then spoke like he was secretly eccentric about his next statement. "But, he is near death. I'm here to set all your affairs in order, you see. And maybe get paid back some old debts." He eyed Noah.

Noah scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I'm going to pay you back, Al. I need this done."

"Can...can I see him?" Mike asked Alejandro. The hope he'd barely held onto for six years of seeing his brother again was rekindled in a near instant.

Al shook his head. "I'm afraid not. It's...complicated, but he can't be seen by anyone. Not even his brother. Deepest apologies." He said it like he didn't really mean it. Like HE was hiding something.

Mike was both confused and suspicious. "Why not? I deserve to see him." He realized he sounded needy, but if Mal was at death's door like Alejandro said, Mike had to see him one more time.

"I understand your desire to see your long lost brother, but he is not stable enough to accept visitors. I'm sorry." Al said with conviction, as if to officially halt the conversation that was clearly going nowhere he wanted it to go. He came to talk money, not family trauma. "Now, back to the matter at hand…" Al opened his suitcase. He shuffled with the papers so he could get them better organized. He handed one to Noah.

"The last will and testament of Kate, mother of Mal and Mike. Wife to…." Al narrowed his eyes at the print and then widened them. He looked up at the family in front of him. "...Noah."

Silence.

Al cleared his throat. "Mike, you get this house, which your mother had full ownership of, and everything in it. You also get her money, which isn't much, but to be used when you first get married, whenever and to whoever that may be." Alejandro looked over the paper again. "Actually, you have partial ownership of the house. Mal owns half, though when he dies, which you know will be very soon, you will assume full ownership."

Mike nodded, though he was confused as to why his father's name was not on the will. Or maybe Alejandro didn't say it, on purpose. But why would he do that?

Suspicions aside, now Mike understood why Noah loathed him so. He could see it in his eyes, the way they clouded with rage yet he showed none of it in his expression. Noah had wanted the house.

"Noah, you get all the books she left for you. You know the ones, it says. Scott and Vito, she didn't leave you anything. Sad, really." Alejandro rolled up the paper. "I believe my job here is finished."

"Indeed, it is. Get out of my house." Noah said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I believe you mean Mike's house."

Noah took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "I am aware of that," he said with a shaky breath, "now get out."

Alejandro smirked, and made his way to the front door. He turned his head back to the family and stared at Noah. "I hope we can.. Continue our earlier conversation about your debts at a later date, sí?"

Noah sneered at Al. "Of course, come running back to discuss more financial matters after you let a bastard seventeen year old and his good-for-nothing brother get a whole house, you eel."

Alejandro looked back at Mike. "I will let you know when Mal's time passes and full ownership reverts to you. Adios." And he left.

Mike turned to go back upstairs to change into clean clothing for rehearsal, which he was now going to be late for, but Noah grabbed his sleeve before he could. Noah yanked him back, and although Mike was taller and more fit than Noah was, it startled him enough that he tripped over himself and was pulled towards Noah. He let go, and Mike fell to the floor, banging his arm as soon as he hit the ground.

"What was that for?" Mike asked, seeing a bruise beginning to form.

Noah had a tear in his eye. He stayed silent for a moment as it dropped, letting the question hang in the air. He then replied bitterly, "Everything." And he pivoted away from his fallen stepson and strode to his office, and, like so many times before, slammed the door behind him.

Mike was beginning to pick himself up off the floor, but Scott power-walked over and pushed him back down as did so. "You little crazy bastard. You don't belong here. You belong in the nuthouse!" he declared as he looked over Mike, smiling like he was king of the world and Mike was just a dirty peasant.

Vito smiled the same way and joined his brother in standing over Mike. They looked at each other, then yanked him off the floor and essentially dragged him outside as he continued to trip over himself.

They forced him towards the wall facing the backyard, and watched him struggle to stand as he tried to contain his sudden momentum. They laughed at his now heavy breathing. He felt pain in his legs, and began to go back to the ground slowly and shakily.

"Ey yo, wussa matter, too weak to stand?" Vito asked Mike in a condescending voice as he pushed him down again. Mike scraped his knee this time around, tearing through the old ankle-height pants he wore when cleaning. It began to bleed a little, as Mike cut his palm open on a rock jutting from the dirt.

Mike grabbed his bleeding hand and looked up at his two stepbrothers. "Why are you guys doing this to me? Why? I haven't done anything to you!" He was now crying. He tore off a piece of his shirt to use as a bandage. The blood quickly seeped through the light blue fabric.

"I don't know, because we can? You're a freak with no real parents or reason to exist? Dad hates you? The list goes on," Scott listed as he counted on his fingers. He smirked and crossed his arms. "And it's fun to see you dirty and on the ground, like the bastard you are."

Mike sniffed. "Look who's talking," He muttered loudly, still trying to stopper his bleeding hand.

Scott frowned.

Vito suppressed laughter at Scott's expense. Scott noticed and looked at his brother. "What's so funny, Vito?"

"Bro, he just burned you bad." Vito stated the obvious.

"So? I'm not the one on the ground bleeding. I'm not the one with no parents. Yeah I never had a mom, but I still have a dad, and a brother. His brother's locked up in some loony bin about to go under, and both his parents are dead." Scott defended, angry and a little teary. "He's nothing more than a worthless servant," He kicked dirt onto Mike, covering him in another layer of filth, "who can't seem to take a hint." And he walked away, expecting Vito to follow suit.

Vito looked back at Mike. He spat at him. "Yeah, you ain't worth the ground you walk on, or whateva he said." And he left to catch up with Scott. Mike could hear their laughter fade back into the house.

He finally was able to get up. He clutched his injured hand as he looked up and realized he wouldn't be able to do anything with his hand like this, much less act or do the chores he was supposed to do. He didn't want to go back into the house, so he decided to go to rehearsal the in the state he was in: bleeding, dirty, tired. He didn't care at that point. Maybe he could get some real medical attention.

 **In Chris McLean's voice: Is Al telling the truth? Is Mal really alive? Will any of this ever make sense? Answers to these questions and more in the next chapter of MIKE'S...CINDERELLA...STORY!**

 **Reviews are always appreciated!:) See you next Monday, where we go to play rehearsal!**


	5. Chapter 5(part one)

**A/N: Happy Monday everyone! Here's the next chapter.**

 **Thanks to smilingagged, Dark Angel of Sorrow Returns and Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter. :)**

"Ok, let's start from the scene in the living room…" Trent began the rehearsal.

"Where the heck is Mike? He should've been here an hour ago!" Duncan wondered aloud, annoyed his co-actor was late. He was onstage in costume, a navy blue shirt and brown pants with black shoes. He was playing the oldest of the five siblings in the play.

"Don't worry. Maybe he got caught up with stuff at home. It's been rough for him since his mother died." Zoey walked onto the stage and put her hand on her fiancée's shoulder, a measuring tape around her neck, and offered a smile. She was one of two costume designers/makers for the production, the other being Brick, who was busy in the costume room waiting for Mike to show.

"Right, forgot. Sorry." Duncan was sincere as he rubbed his neck and looked apologetically at Zoey.

"Come on, you guys! I can't be expected to work like this! If Mike doesn't get here soon, my makeup will start running!" Dakota complained, also in her costume of a blue dress with a white apron.

"Calm down, everyone. I'm sure he'll be along shortly." Trent assured.

Mike ran into the theater, shirt ripped, covered in dirt, and panting as he stopped and kneeled on the floor. He looked exhausted. "Hey guys, I'm here," he said weakly as he looked up briefly.

Everyone gasped. Manitoba Smith, an actor who knew a thing or two about getting roughed up by the elements, was speechless for once. He ran off the stage to help Mike stand and sit in one of the house seats. Others gathered around. "Who did this to yeh, little 'roo?" he asked, gently as he spotted Mike's blood-soaked and bandaged hand with shock. He gently held and examined it. "A snake get yah in the hand?"

"I.. don't want to talk about it, Mani." Mike replied quietly. He retracted his hand and went back to grasping it, looking at the floor and trying to ignore the pain.

"Manitoba, the rest of you, give him some space." Zoey sat down next to Mike and placed a hand on his. "Tell us what happened, Mike." Her voice was kind and calming.

Mike looked back up at Zoey, whom he'd been friends with for a long time and knew he could trust with anything, then went back down and started crying again.

"Don't cry, we're here for you."

Mike continued crying. "No, no one is." He choked out.

"What do ya mean? We're standin right here!" Mani asked, gesturing to the numerous people surrounding them.

"No, I won't tell you guys. It's my business, not yours. I don't want to burden you with my problems."

"You could never be a burden, Mike. Sure, you're annoying as heck and whatever went down with your brother that time is...questionable, but you're a damn good actor and not a terrible person." Duncan cut into the conversation.

Mike found Duncan. He smiled. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Duncan."

Duncan shrugged it off. "Don't get used to it, we're not best buds forever or anything. Now tell us what happened!"

"I…don't really know what happened. It was all so sudden-"

"Tell us, please." Trent inserted himself into the conversation and sat on the other side of him.

"I...I can't!" He started crying again.

Trent looked at Mike's hand. "We need to get you to a doctor."

Mike nodded, keeping his eyes fixated on the ground. Trent and Zoey helped him up.

"You're so dirty, you and Mani could be twins!" Duncan pointed out, trying to make a joke. It was true, Manitoba was always covered in dirt, from fedora to toe.

"'Mate, I'm blonde and Australian. His hair's darker than whatever cloud s'gone over 'im. We ain't twins. Though I gis we could be cousins." Mani replied.

"It was a joke. Geez."

"It ain't a funny one."

While those two had their little argument, Trent and Zoey had gotten Mike out of the theater and into the town square. It was dark now, so not many places were open, other than the tavern and a store selling nothing but hats. The doctor's office was open, however, so Trent and Zoey got Mike onto a bench just outside, and told him to stay put and wait for them.

 **Any reviews are accepted and appreciated. See y'all next Monday!**


	6. Chapter 6(part two)

**A/N: Happy Monday!**

 **Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. The next one is much longer, promise. :)**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter.**

The doctor's visit wasn't very pleasant. The doctor, who went by the name Hatchet, was an old guy, with huge muscles and a bald head. He yelled the whole time, asking questions Mike narrowly avoided answering. Hatchet did bandage his hand properly, and gave him some clean ones to use when the current one bled through. He threw the t-shirt bandage in the trash. It was permanently purple now from absorbing so much blood.

"Now listen here, maggot. Don't go ripping your flesh open like that again, got it?! It might cause you to lose ability in your hand. And that ain't right. That ain't right…" And he went on to tear up before regaling them with tales from when he was a soldier in the army. "Twenty five of us went into the jungle that night...only five came out."

"Ok, we get it. Are we done here?" Zoey asked, slightly annoyed.

"We're done when I saaaaaay we're done! Which we are NOW!"

Trent paid Hatchet and led Mike and Zoey out. Mike was now limping. He no longer had to hold his hand now that it was properly bandaged.

"Thanks for taking me here, guys. Sorry I ruined rehearsal," Mike apologized.

"You didn't ruin anything, Mike." Trent assured.

"But it was the second-to last before opening night!"

Trent sighed. "I know. But you all have the whole thing down, inside and out. It doesn't help anyone, especially yourself, to be injured, so just… Take it easy tomorrow. See how you feel. If you're not up to it, don't come to rehearsal. If you are, totally come!" He smiled.

"Thanks again, both of you."

"We should probably head back. Everyone's waiting."

The three walked back to the theater and Trent began the rehearsal anew.

Mike was glad he didn't have to move a whole lot during the duration of the show, as the old man character. He still felt pain in his leg where he'd scraped himself, and in his hand. He tried to get through it and deliver his lines, but it became too much. By the end, he was again breathing heavily and sweating, carrying the dirt still caked into his skin down to his eyes. He tried to rub it out with his good hand, to no avail.

 **Next chapter is the end of rehearsal. We're almost back to his house.**

 **Any reviews are appreciated. See y'all next Monday!:)**


	7. Chapter 7(part three)

**A/N: Guess what day it is? Monday! Update day! Woo! This is the end of rehearsal.**

 **Thansk to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter.:)**

 **Enjoy!**

As the curtain fell, and clapping ensued from the few people sitting in the house who had walked in off the street expecting free entertainment, Trent approached Mike, who was now offstage sitting on a prop chair, still in his costume, looking absolutely drained.

"Listen, Mike, you don't have to perform tomorrow if you don't feel good. You need to rest, let your leg and your hand heal. Wash your face, get all the dirt off. You can come back to do the show when you're ready."

"But.. I don't have an understudy."

"Yes you do. Mani's your understudy. We'll have Brick do his part. You and Mani are practically twins, other than your hair color and accents… But no one will notice!"

"But…"

"No buts. The show runs for a month total, with that big performance for the royals at that huge festival in the middle. You'll have plenty of time to get onstage and do your thing when you've healed."

Mike nodded weakly, barely hiding his disappointment. "Ok. Wait, don't we leave for the capital in a week?"

"Yep. We're gonna do a few shows here, take a week to go to the capital and get the set up, do a few there, then the festival show for the royals, then come back after and finish the show's run. Then the company's taking a break for a few weeks, during which all of you will get paid, before auditions open for the next show, which will by then be announced. I'm expecting you will be auditioning?"

Mike nodded, more vigorous this time. "Of course I'll audition. I can't think of a better thing to do."

"Good. You really are talented, Mike. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Trent smiled, and walked away to get the cast together for last-minute notes. Mike stayed put, he could hear from where he was.

"Mani, you'll most likely be doing Mike's part for some of our first shows. I hope you've been paying attention."

"Yih, relax mate, I seen him act. I got it." Mani assured Trent.

"So who's doing Mani's part?" asked Dakota, always concerned about who is on stage with her when.

"Brick can fill in for Mani until Mike can get on his feet again, if you get my drift."

"He can't act!" Duncan pointed out. "All he does is design costumes."

Brick hid his hurt feelings by saluting and saying confidently, "I will do my best at the new role I've been given, and I hope Mike gets better soon. I'll just have to make some costume adjustments…." And he ran offstage to go measure himself and adjust the costume, grabbing Zoey on his way out. She didn't even complain, she'd worked with him long enough to know when he got like this, they'd be in the shop for a while.

"I'll see you later, Duncan." Zoey kissed him on the cheek as she was led away by Brick. "Feel better, Mike."

Duncan smiled. Mike followed suit, but his reversed when another shot of pain ran through his hand.

Trent spoke again. "Well, now that that's out of the way, you all can head back to get your costumes hung up for rehearsal tomorrow. Good work today, and thank you all for your patience earlier. It really means a lot that you care so much for your fellow actors."

"Finally. I have to get this makeup off now, before it like, totally ruins my skin! And get out of this outfit. It's not even my shade of blue! What was Brick _thinking_?" Dakota ran backstage to get changed. She somehow arrived mere moments later in her usual pink dress(her shade of course) and pink flat shoes. Her face looked well-scrubbed but not blotchy or red, and her blonde hair was perfectly brushed down her back, out of the ponytail that came with her character.

"Dakota, the things you can do with clothing, hair and makeup are sometimes too fast and wonderful to be real. What's your secret?" Beth, a stage crew member who moved sets and wasn't too easy on the eyes, looked at Dakota with envy and admiration. Beth's usual pink-and-green dress didn't flatter her well, though the black she wore for stage crew was just slightly better. She was currently wearing her green and pink ensemble.

"Well, first of all, _I_ try." Dakota looked her once over, as she'd been forced to do every single rehearsal, and made a face to suggest she'd tasted something sour, or was just disguisted by what she saw. "Second, I'm not telling _you_ how I look so good all the time! Just ask Lindsay! Isn't she, like, your bestie?"

"Of course Linds is my bestie! But she doesn't get ready as fast as you do. And she always hogs the lip gloss."

"Whatevs." Dakota got off the stage and walked out of the theater. "See you guys tomorrow!" She called back before she left.

"Ok, I guess I should go home too…" Mike spoke up. He didn't want to go back to his house ever again, but he knew he had no choice. He didn't have anywhere else to go, and it was his house, he wouldn't leave it even if he could. He now began to stand.

"I can help get you home, Mike, afta we git our costumes off an' everything." Mani walked over to where Mike sat. He smiled. He was also still in costume, a green shirt, blue pants and black shoes, with a black fedora on his blonde hair. He also had dirt on his face.

"Thanks for the offer, Mani, but I think I'm fine…"

"Mate, you the exact opposite o' fine! Ye can't expect ta git yerself home like that! Ye'll just beat yerself up even more!" Mani looped his arm through Mike's and got him off his butt and on his feet. "C'mon, before Zoey gives us both a beatdown for gettin' her work all dusted up." And Mani led them to the dressing room.

Mani came out of the dressing room in his usual clothing: a beige shirt, brown pants that barely hit his ankles, and bare feet, all stained with earth. His fedora was now white, or was at some point.

Mike was now wearing something a little different than before: a dark blue silk shirt from an old show that was too big, black pants, and his shoes. His face and hair were still dirty, and his hand still bandaged, but he looked better than before. Mani had convinced Brick to lend the shirt to Mike and also got Zoey to fix his clothing. "Of course!" They'd both said.

So Mike and Manitoba left the theater, Mike leaning on Mani and Mani supporting him. They walked in silence until they reached the broken-up road that led to Mike's house. He stopped them there.

"I can go the rest of the way, Mani."

"Yih, sure you can. I got you this fah, I'm gettin you home. 'Specially with all these rocks in ya way."

"No, please don't. Go home. I'm sure your wife's waiting for you."

"Nah, she left me a while ago. Said I was too 'egotistical' and a 'womanizer'."

"Oh. But still, go. You don't want to come to my house."

"Why? The guys who beat you still gone be there waitin?"

Mike looked down. "Yes." He almost whispered.

"Well, let me at em!"

"No!" Mike closed eyes and sighed sadly. "Please, just go." Mike began limping forward down the road, away from Mani and towards the hell he was forced to live in.

 **Reviews are always appreciated. See y'all next Monday!**


	8. Chapter 8(scene one of one)

**A/N: Happy Monday morning! Update time! It's short this time, but next is longer again.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TD, it's characters, or the song lyrics.**

 **Enjoy!**

Hell it was indeed. Mike still had to do all the housework, despite his obvious injuries. He stayed home from rehearsal and missed the first week of shows. Still, he was optimistic about the coming trip to the capital.

His hand was healing as well as it could, and he made sure to change the bandages when he cleaned the house. His leg had yet to follow, as he was constantly on his feet cooking or doing laundry or whatever other tasks he was given by his stepbrothers, so he still walked with a slight limp, hunching over slightly sometimes. They constantly mocked him for it.

One day that week, Mike was sweeping the floor in front of the fireplace. A dustpan half-full of ash lay to the side. Mike was also singing, a habit he'd picked up to keep away the quiet. His voice was soft but strong.

 _"Every day I wake up, I die a little,_

 _Can barely stand on my feet,_

 _Take a look in the mirror and cry_

 _Look what you're doing to me…"_

He moved around gracefully in a circle, feeling into the song, ignoring his leg. He closed his eyes and continued, getting a little louder in his singing.

" _I have spent all my years in believing you_

 _But I just can't get no relief, no!_

 _Somebody, ooh somebody, can anybody find me... somebody to love..."_ Mike spun once, still graceful. He stopped himself with the broom. He smiled.

Scott, who had heard his singing and thought it was stupid and annoying, snuck up and shoved him from behind. Mike fell and lost his grip on the broom, causing it to fall onto the dustpan and for ash to fly into the air like a cloud of smoke. Mike hit the floor, and once again hit his leg. He sucked in a scream of agony. The ash settled over him, and he was now covered in a thin layer.

"Clean up your mess, Mike." Noah said dryly as he nearly darted past his fallen stepson towards his office.

Mike tried getting up, but this time his leg was straight up bursting in pain. He fell back down on his knees, another cloud of ash lifting up and over him. He found the broom and used it to stand up. He held it like a staff and put his weight onto it so he stood on one leg.

Scott laughed.

"Stop laughing! This isn't funny!" Mike surveyed all the ash he'd have to clean up with his leg the way it was.

"Like hell it is." Scott disagreed. "Now, you heard Dad. Clean up your mess." And he turned on his heel and walked away, kicking up more ash. "And you can't dance." He laughed.

Mike sighed. He slowly began to sweep again, ignoring the ash in his eyes and the pain returning to his leg. He was getting used to feeling it.

Later, he looked in a mirror. The ash had marred his skin. He brought his hand to his cheek, and felt himself crying. The ash still remained, despite the tears' fierce attempt to wash it away.

 **This is the last chapter for idk how long where he's crying at the end. Promise.**

 **The lyrics are the first verse and chorus of Somebody to Love by Queen. In case you were wondering. You should try listening to it. Great song.**

 **Please review, and see y'all next Monday!**


	9. Chapter 9(its own thing)

**A/N: Hello! Another update so soon? What is this?**

 **To answer that question, I will not be able to be online tomorrow because of a trip. I didn't want to leave y'all with nothing. And this is one of my favorite chapters.**

 **Mike might be just a tad OOC because of his irritation and frustration. But he doesn't snap. Not yet.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Mike, where are you? Get down here NOW!"

"Ok, Noah, sheesh. I'm just...packing."

"For what? And don't call me Noah, call me sir."

"Nothing. Sir." Mike rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, right. Get down here!"

Mike sighed and placed down the shirt he'd just folded into his bag. It was the blue one Brick had given him. He raced down the attic stairs as fast as he could with his bad leg, and found Noah at the foot. He stopped a few stairs up.

"What are you packing for? And don't tell me nothing," Noah asked.

Mike sighed. "A trip, sir."

"Where? You don't have anyone else."

"To the capital. For the show I'm in, sir."

Noah chuckled. "Since when did you do anything other than clean and take up space?"

"Since I was nine."

"Yeah, like you have any special talents." Noah rolled his eyes. "You're just a servant."

"A servant who owns this house…" He muttered.

"What did you say?!"

"Nothing, sir. But I do act."

"So I've heard. We're coming with you. I can't expect people to believe you are allowed to go to the capital city by yourself!"

"I'm going with the rest of the cast and crew. I won't be alone."

"Still, I don't trust you to go off without-ahem-adult supervision."

"Trent's an adult! And I'm seventeen! I'm not a kid. Plus, I'm the youngest cast member. Everyone else is an adult."

"Can't trust actors." Noah turned his head into the hallway. "Scott! Vito!"

His sons were in their room, no doubt driving each other crazy. "Yeah?" "Wassup?" they both responded at the same time.

"Pack some clothes and make yourselves presentable, we're going to the capital."

"Why?" Scott asked.

"Because the servant needs to do a 'show'"

"Really? Why should we care?"

"We shouldn't. It just so happens I have some...business there I have to take care of. It would be a welcome distraction. Besides, it's only for.." Noah looked at Mike and raised an eyebrow.

"Two weeks." Mike replied quietly.

"Two weeks!" Noah called back.

"Fine," Scott said. "This place is boring anyway."

"Ey, who knows, we might see a hot princess o' somethin', bro." Mike heard Vito say.

"Yeah… but I'll see her first!" Scott called.

"Naw, bro, she's mine!" And they began fighting with each other.

Noah took a deep breath and exhaled. "Sometimes I wonder why I let Izzy get me in that closet…" He muttered. "My life would be so much easier."

Mike had slowly started to creep back up the stairs.

"Get back down here this instant! I'm not finished with you yet!"

Mike sighed and came back to his original stair. "What?"

"We are not going to be seen together, understand? Not in public. I don't want to be associated with a filthy servant like you." Noah wrinkled his nose in disgust, like he'd smelled something rotten.

Mike frowned. Then, he haughtily and slightly uncharacteristically said, "I wouldn't want to be seen with you in public either. Besides, the cast is staying in one place. We don't have to see each other at all."

Noah's face turned red. He huffed and turned away and went back down the stairs.

Mike was confused about Noah's reaction, but shrugged it off and went back upstairs to finish packing.

 **Please review, it's appreciated. See you next Monday!:)**


	10. Chapter 10(prologue to them leaving)

**A/N: Hey everybody, it's Monday! Time for an update!**

 **This one is shorter. It's more focused around Mike's castmates, specifically Manitoba, Duncan and Zoey.**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Please enjoy!:)**

"Let's get going, people! We've got carriages to meet!" Trent clapped his hands. The cast was congregating outside the theater. "And we're picking up Mike on the way there since he couldn't make it over here in time."

"Do I look alright? I've never been to the capital, they have the _best_ fashion there!" Dakota asked no one in particular. She was dressed in a nice magenta dress and her hair was perfect, as always.

"I know! Lindsay once got me a bracelet from a jeweler there. Maybe I'll show you sometime!" Beth added.

"Yeah, totally…" Dakota walked away.

"Shouldn't Mike be well enough to get here on his own? It's been a week," Duncan asked Trent.

"He would be, but his leg's still been messed up since his stepbrother pushed him. He told Mani through one of the windows after I sent him there the other day."

"Mate, that house was a desert on a grassy hill! No life at all. Shoulda gone in there and told those punks what for! But then Mike's step daddy called him down the stairs, so I 'ad to leave 'fore he saw me there." Manitoba cut in. He was wearing a slightly cleaner version of his normal outfit, plus a pair of boots.

"His stepdad? Who is he?" Duncan asked, curious.

"Mate, he's awful. Treats Mike like dirt, let me tell ya."

"Yeah, but _what's his name_?" Duncan pushed the question.

"'Heard Mike slip up and call 'im Noah. He got yelled at for it, poor little 'roo."

"Noah…wait, _really_?" Duncan was surprised. "Damn, no wonder Mike can't get out of there."

"Mate, he's _choosin_ ' not to leave that awful place! Get your skull on right!"

"Why?"

"Ask em yerself, he barely told me," Mani shrugged.

"Ok, I will."

Mani walked away to stand somewhere else. Zoey walked up to Duncan. "It's nice to see you so concerned about other people."

"Well, whatever. I have the right to. Noah's a bad guy. He's too smart for his own good." Duncan shook his head. "Don't know how Mike can stand it, living with him."

"He's strong, there's no denying it. Most people would've gone over their heads by now, or ran away."

"Kind of like what happened with-"

"Don't say it!"

"-with his older brother. Chill. I wouldn't say his name."

"Good. I'd hate to think of the same thing happening to Mike." Zoey put her hand on her cheek. "Awful, just awful."

"He was just thirteen. He-"

"I know what happened, you've told me before. I don't want to know anymore, so please drop it for now, ok?"

"Fine." Duncan had wanted to talk about Mal, what he knew and what he'd seen of him. Zoey probably wasn't the best choice. Mike was more likely to take it the right way. Or not, as he was very defensive by nature and wouldn't believe him. Still, it would be worth a try, to get it off his chest.

Just not yet.

 ***Chris voice*Oooh, what does Duncan know? What will he tell Mike, and will he believe him? Find out in later chapters of Mike's...Cinderella...story!**

 **Review if you wish, it is always appreciated. See y'all next Monday!**


	11. Chapter 11(they're leaving pretty much)

**A/N: Monday! Update time! Woo!**

 **I believe last chapter we passed 1,000 views! Yay!**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

Mike watched out the window, waiting for his friends to arrive to get him. Noah, Scott and Vito had just left in their carriage.

"Make sure to lock up before you leave, you filthy piece of trash!" Scott yelled up at him from his seat. Vito didn't say anything.

Mike sighed, his head nestled in his good hand. "Doesn't matter, hopefully we won't speak or see each other again for the next two weeks."

"Hey, Mike! You ready to go?" A friendly and familiar voice called out to him.

Mike saw the company carriages pull up the road in front of his house. He smiled. "Hang on, I'll come down."

"No, man, we'll come to you. Can't have you hurting that leg of yours again," Trent said, walking up to the house with Mani and Duncan in tow, Duncan looking less than happy. "Oh, the doors locked, could you maybe-"

Mike turned his head away from the window and slowly stood up. He inched to the door of his attic, opened it, and began to descend.

"Could you possibly move a little faster? We're in a bit of a hurry here," Duncan asked.

"'E's injured, mate! Give him some time," Mani said defensively.

Mike eventually made it down the stairs and to the front door. "Hey guys. Sorry for making you wait so long. It was my leg."

"No worries, Mike." Trent assured him. "We've got plenty of time. Now," he turned to Duncan and Mani, "Let's help him get his stuff."

"Oh, I don't think that's necessary…" Mike started to politely reject the offer to help.

"No, it is. Where are your things?"

"I don't have much, just some clothes and my script."

"Where are they?" He asked again.

Mike lead them up to the second floor. "Up there." He pointed to the stairs leading to the attic. "That's where I live, most of the time. At least, I sleep there. And avoid my stepbrothers."

"You have to climb _that_ every day? Just to go to sleep? Even in your condition?" Damn." Mani asked in disbelief.

"I used to be on the second floor, but my stepbrothers kind of took over my room so…"

"Looks like there's another room here. Why don't you use that one instead?" Duncan wondered.

"It's complicated…" Mike looked away.

"Hey, c'mon, you two, let's get his stuff. You can ask him personal questions when we're on the road." Trent gestured for them to follow him upstairs.

By the time they came back down, they all looked exhausted except Mani, who climbed mountains far higher than those stairs. "How do you do that every single day?" Duncan asked, knowing Mike was not the strongest guy alive.

Mike shrugged. "You get used to it."

"How long you been livin up there?" Mani now asked.

"Uh, a few months?"

" _How_?" Duncan was still wrapping his head around it. This shrimp had to climb all those stairs everyday just to go to sleep?

"Like I said, you get used to the climb. Now let's go before this conversation keeps going in a circle." And Mike started to limp out of the house.

Duncan and Mani looked at each other, then Mani ran over to help Mike walk. Duncan grabbed Mike's stuff and followed, and Trent stayed in the back, looking around the house a little before leaving.

 **Next chapter they arrive in the capital!**

 **Please review, and see y'all next Monday!:)**


	12. Chapter 12(they arrive! part 1)

**A/N: Late in the day update for you, lovely readers!**

 **Things are revealed(sort of)! Minds will be blown(maybe)! Questions will be asked in the review section(likely)**

 **Speaking of which, thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

The trip was pleasant. Mike rode in a carriage with Manitoba, Brick, Dakota and Trent.

"I love your dress, Dakota. You look really nice," Mike complemented.

"Oh, thank you! I like that shirt you're wearing."

"What, this?" Mike gestured to his plain green shirt he'd had to hand-wash in the dark the night before. He hadn't worn it for a while, he'd never had reason to. It was too expensive to wear when he was doing housework, which was all the time.

"Yes, it's totally your color of foresty green. It works."

"Thanks."

"If you want my personal opinion, I would put you in more of an aqua blue, to contrast with your tan skin and accentuate your brown eyes," Brick cut in.

"Ok…." Mike had had an aqua blue shirt, but it was ruined after he'd cut his hand open. "Maybe I could get one while we're in the capital, but I don't have much money."

"Please, me and Zoey can whip something up in no time. We fixed your other clothes, and we already have your measurements."

"Really? You'd do that? Thanks."

The rest of the few-hour ride was nice. There was much talk about the show, what everyone would do in their down time between performances, seeing some royalty.

They reached the outskirts of the capital, where they were SLAMMED with some heavy carriage/horse traffic. It took them two more hours to reach the downtown area where they were staying.

"You have to love rush hour traffic," Trent said jokingly.

The place the cast would be sleeping for the next two weeks was a decent-looking establishment near the theater and the castle. The owner was a rather...chubby man with short blonde hair and a smile plastered on his face all the time.

"Welcome! You guys are gonna love it here! Especially the food," he greeted them.

"Owen! My man!" Trent high-fived him.

"Trent! Dude! It's been too long!" Owen gave him a crushing one-armed hug. "How've you been?"

"Good, good. How's it been here? Business good?"

"Always. We get all the performers that pass through the theater. Can't wait to see what you guys have."

Owen began to help everyone with their things. Mike was helped out of the carriage and sat on a chair inside. "C'mon guys, I can carry things-"

"No," was Trent's simple reply.

"Ok…" Mike watched everyone else bring things in. He noticed that every time Duncan brought something in, he eyed him carefully.

After Duncan finished putting all his belongings in the room he was sharing with Zoey, he approached Mike. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Uh, sure, Duncan."

"Maybe we could take it somewhere less..public?"

"Where would that be?"

"Outside? I'll help you get there."

"Ok." Mike stood up, and leaned on Duncan as he led him out.

They say on a bench opposite Owen's place. "Ok, so this is about your brother…"

"What about him?" Mike asked defensively.

"Some things you may not know. It's been what, six years since he 'disappeared?'

"I was told he was nearly dead."

"Ok, but I'm here to talk about some stuff before that. I knew him."

"How?"

"Uh...we were in prison together."

Mike stared. "No, that can't be right. It must've been someone else."

Duncan shook his head. "When you and I first met a few years ago, I could tell you were the Mike he always talked about. You two look so alike."

"We always did. People thought we were twins."

"But you two aren't alike in the slightest. I watched him break someone's arm just by squeezing it. He used his fingernail to slice into someone's cheek. He was strong, really strong… Then the army guys came in."

"What? The army?"

"They took him away, called him a threat to anything and everything around, and sent him somewhere. Never heard about him again, except in fearful whispers."

Mike took it all in, then closed his eyes and breathed. "When did all this happen? How old was he?" He asked, a bit shakily.

"He was thirteen. I was sixteen or seventeen."

"I don't want to hear any more. Stop trying to scare me. It's not going to work.'' It was obvious Mike was lying as he said it.

"It's the truth, Mike. Just hear me, there's something else-"

"No! I'm not listening."

"-about your step-father."

"How do you know about him?"

"Manitoba told us before we came to get you. He's not who you think he is. He-"

"I won't hear any more. I already know that Noah is a terrible person. Saying something negative won't change my view of him. I've come to accept the way I have to live. If it's with Noah, then so be it."

"You can't just ignore this, Mike." Duncan had a hint of desperation in his voice.

"I can. I'm sorry, but I have to get rested for tomorrow. If you'll excuse me." Mike stood up and walked by himself back to his room in the inn.

Duncan sighed in frustration. At least he got it off his chest. He just wished Mike could understand the severity of all this...

He heard in his memory a distant scream, a memory of the time when he'd lived in fear of crossing paths with the Malevolent One...

 **Review! Theorize! Rethink your life! Question my sanity if you want to.**

 **See y'all next Monday!:)**


	13. Chapter 13(they arrive part 2)

**A/N: What day is it? Monday! What time is it? Update time!**

 **Next chapter, a bunch of stuff happens. This chapter, things also happen.**

 **Thanks to Liz the Sweet Writer and Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter!:)**

 **Enjoy!**

The next day was hectic for the cast and crew. Setting up the stage, getting costumes in place, going over lines for the millionth time…and Mike wasn't there for any of it.

"Where'd he run off to?" Trent asked Manitoba, who was Mike's roommate while they were in the capital.

"I dunno, he said he needed some time to think about things. I'm sure he'll be back soon, mate. He's not usually late for rehearsal."

"Other than when he was injured."

"Yeah, other then that one time. But give him some credit, mate, think about who 'e's livin with."

"Alright, but he does need to get back soon. We're going to run the show on the new stage. He needs to get used to it." Trent walked off to talk to some of the crew.

Mani looked at the door to the theater. "Where are ya, little 'roo?"

Mike was outside, sitting on a bench, watching the people of the capital go by, trying to keep out the thoughts about Duncan's words the day before, about his brother…

"Hello Mike."

Mike jumped a bit. He'd been so lost in thought he didn't notice a girl walk up to him. Wait, _did_ she walk up to him? It looked like she just...appeared. "Um, hi. Do I know you?" he asked her.

"No, I don't believe I've ever introduced myself. I'm Dawn." She stuck her hand out.

Mike hesitantly took it and they shook. Dawn looked him straight in the eyes. "Your aura is hard to read. There's so many emotions swirling around."

"My...aura?" Mike was confused.

Dawn put her hand just in front of Mike's face. "I'm seeing a lot of yellow-green and pink in your aura, which is a good sign. But there are bits of dark brown, dark blue, lemon yellow…" Her eyes widened, and she smiled. "You have gold!"

"And that means…?" Mike asked skeptically.

"There is someone divine watching over you. How fortunate, seeing both the grief and anger you feel for and at your family."

"What? How do you know that?"

"It's written all over your aura. You've had a tough life for a little while. But it'll get better soon."

"It's been longer than that!"

"Yes, and you wish to find answers. There are so many holes in your knowledge of your family, but you're afraid of what you'll find out."

"I'm-I'm not afraid!" Mike's voice was a bit shaky.

Dawn smiled softly. "It's ok, Mike, things will get better. Maybe sooner than you expect!"

Mike shrugged and looked at the ground. "I don't know, but I guess I could TRY to be a bit more optimistic…" He looked up. She was gone.

Mike raised an eyebrow and looked around the street. He didn't see her anywhere.

He did see two familiar figures he didn't think or hope he'd see for two more weeks.

"Oh, look, Vito! It's the servant!"

"Ey look, he's all by himself! Like he's got no friends or whateva."

"I bet he doesn't. Let's torture him a bit before Dad gets back."

Mike frowned as his two stepbrothers approached him. Scott was full on casual in a sleeveless white shirt, green pants and brown shoes. Vito was wearing a loose purple shirt that was unbuttoned most of the way down, along with blue pants and black shoes. Scott was smirking and Vito looked indifferent. "Didn't expect to see you two here," Mike said.

"Get off that bench, freak. Stand up so we don't have to look down at you. Oh wait, we already do." Scott laughed.

Vito said nothing. He just smirked.

"I don't have to listen to you here. This isn't home." Mike didn't have to listen to them at all, but he dreaded any punishment that might befall him if he didn't do what he was told at home.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you're not what you are." Scott grabbed him by the shirt collar and hoisted him to his feet. Mike stumbled on his leg, grabbing the bench to use as support. "That leg still hasn't done itself in? I think we ought to fix that." Scott looked at Vito. "Shall we?"

Vito was frowning. "Bro, you know I love a good beatdown, but not when it's easy. Easy fights are boring. Plus, look at where we're at. We'd get arrested o' something if we beat him up right in the street. And Dad's gonna come out here soon."

"Since when do you care about what Dad thinks?" Scott pushed Vito a bit.

Vito pushed him back. "I don't, but he don't want us to be around him much anyway, so we gotta split before he comes looking for us." He pointed to Mike when he referred to _him_.

Scott rolled his eyes. "Fine." He looked at Mike. "But if we run into each other again, I don't care if Dad's around or not. You're getting it. Let's go, Vito." Scott began to walk off.

Mike sat back slowly on the bench. Vito didn't move. "Thanks for that, Vito," he said.

Vito averted Mike's gaze. "Whateva. He's a pain, and I ain't gettin in trouble 'cause of him while we're here. It's not like I care about you or your feelings or whateva." He also walked off.

Mike was now even more confused as his stepbrother left him sitting there. He continued to be until a familiar accent caught in his ears. "There you are! I've been lookin' everywhere, mate!" He turned and sighed in relief as Mani walked up to him.

"Sorry, I needed some air."

"You've had enough air to last a lifetime. Come on, Trent wants you at rehearsal yesterday." Mani helped Mike up. "I saw those two dingos cornerin' you. Who were they?"

"Oh, them. They were, uh… They wanted my autograph. Yeah. Heh."

Mani looked in the direction Scott and Vito had gone, then turned back to Mike. "They're your stepbrothers, ain't they?" His voice held concern and a bit of anger in it.

Mike sighed and nodded. "But they didn't do anything. Not just now, anyway."

"They've done somethin' to you, I can tell. In your mind." Manitoba shook his head. "Can't worry about it now. We got rehearsin' to do!"

The two actors walked back to the theater.

"Glad Mani found you before you ran off with the circus," Trent greeted them jokingly. He had his director tiny glasses perched on his nose, ready to get down to business. "Get into your costumes. We start running in ten minutes." Trent pointed across the stage, where Brick was standing at attention. "That way."

Mike and Manitoba went backstage, put on their costumes, and everyone got into positions to run the show.

 **Please review! See y'all next Monday!:)**


	14. Chapter 14(performance for royalty)

**A/N: Heyo! Update time!**

 **This chapter got cut in half because it was so long and things needed to be spaced out a little. The other half will be next week's chapter.**

 **Thanks to Bloodlylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter.:)**

 **Enjoy!**

Those two weeks were the busiest but also the best in Mike's life.

He hardly thought about his stepfamily. Mal was occasionally on his mind, but Mike didn't worry about what Duncan had said. It certainly wasn't true. Right?

Anyway, the show was a great success with the people of the capital. Opening night,the house was hardly half full, but the cast received a standing ovation. The nights after that, it was packed.

"You've got some talented dudes and dudettes on your hands, Trent! Can't wait to see what everyone upstairs thinks." One of the festival organizers, who introduced himself as Geoff, said backstage after a show one night. "And you guys are gonna love the after-party I've got planned for you guys."

"Yeah, some of them have been to one. It'll be Mike's first of yours, though."

"My first what?" Mike hadn't really been paying attention to their conversation. He'd been chatting with Mani and Brick.

"Alright, little dude! You're gonna have a blast." Geoff smiled at Mike.

Mike couldn't help but smile back. Geoff gave off so much positive energy, it was hard not to.

"So, when are you guys leaving town?" Geoff asked.

"In a few days. After we perform for the royals, of course."

"Great, you guys'll be here for the festival. It's such a big thing here, like one huge party!"

"Like we could miss it."

The show in front of the royalty set everyone on edge a bit. For Mike, it was his dream coming true. He felt a combination of excitement and nerves.

"This is the big one, mate. You ready?" Manitoba had asked him before he got into his costume and makeup.

"I think we all are. But this has been my dream for forever. I'm happy to be doing it with you guys," Mike smiled.

Mani smiled back. "Me too, little 'roo. This is probly the best group o' people I've had pleasure in workin' with."

"I agree. Everyone's been so nice. Its great to have people who like you, and don't use you…" Mike's expression turned sad.

Mani put his hand on Mike's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Those dingos can't hurt you here, got that?"

Mike nodded.

"Good. Now, get yourself ready. We got a show to put on."

The big show went off without a hitch. The royals were all in a box at the top of the theater. The rest of the house was full of nobility. Mike didn't focus on that. He focused on his performance, and becoming this cranky old man character. He made the audience laugh multiple times, and by the bow at the end he was smiling brightly through his makeup.

"I heard you were out huntin' last night! Might as well get all those critters to flock over here for a feast, why don't you!" Mike was yelling at Dakota, as his character of course.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather, but my brothers aren't exactly helpful."

At this point, Duncan and Mani run across the stage, Mani chasing Duncan. "Stop it! I'm not a kangaroo!" Duncan, as his eldest brother character, ran in a circle around the stage.

"You will be soon!" Mani had an almost manic grin on his face as he continued to chase Duncan.

"See? They're always fooling around. I'm the only one who does anything around here!" Dakota rarely got angry in everyday life, but she really brought it when she was onstage.

"Bah! You kids know nothing about hard work. Put ya outside in the dead of winter for a week with just the clothes on your back, and you'll see!"

"Maybe I'll do it!"

"What do I care? You whippersnappers ought to learn to get along, while you're at it!" Mike crossed his arms. On stage, he was sitting in a chair.

Dakota took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm sorry."

"You damn right should be! I hope you learn something, young lady."

"What do you mean?"

"You said you're gonna do it, so you're gonna do it! Kids these days know nothing about commitment, best you learn that too!"

Everyone on stage and in the audience gasped and stared at Mike. That was the moment that set everything else in the play into motion. Mike liked being a character that catalysed the entire plot.

Eventually, Mike's piece of the scene was done, and he exited off the stage. He was greeted with a hug from Trent, who was backstage. "You did awesome, Mike!" he whispered excitedly as they got out of e wings and into the hallway that led to the dressing rooms and such.

"I still have the end scene later."

"That was some of the best acting I've seen from you. You really fell into your character." He shut his mouth when he realized what he said. "Sorry, that was insensitive."

"It's okay. I really felt like an old man yelling at his grandkids. I guess having that injury helped with my posture onstage." Mike had curved his back and hunched over while he was standing onstage, making him look older.

The two-hour play ended with the curtain call. Mike was second to last, coming out with most of the cast and crew on stage already. Dakota, Duncan, Mani, and the two actors playing the other two brothers were last. Everyone joined hands and took a bow.

 **Please review! See you next Monday!:)**


	15. Chapter 15(after party)

**A/N: Woo, Chapter 15!**

 **Change of plan. This whole time they are in the capital is now divided into four parts. It makes more sense.**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter. Also, thanks to everyone who got this fic to almost 2,000 views! It's my first TD fic to do so. :D**

 **On to the chapter! Enjoy!**

After the bow, but before the clapping ceased, Trent got up on stage with them. He waited for quiet before speaking. "Thank you so much for allowing us to perform for you. Everyone worked hard day and night to make this show happen. This was one of our most anticipated performances of our capital run, and I think it went amazingly well." He turned to face the cast and crew. "Thank you guys, so much, for putting in the effort to make this a success." He clapped. The rest of the audience followed. "If anyone is interested in meeting the actors, we will be sticking around for the next few days before heading home."

They all took one last bow before heading backstage and immediately going ballistic. Duncan and Zoey kissed. Mike wrapped Manitoba in a hug. Beth jumped up and down. "You guys were amazing! They all loved it!" she exclaimed.

"I can't believe that just happened. This is the best moment of my life," Mike said, now starting to cry tears of utter elation and joy.

"This is just the beginnin' for you. You still got a long career ahead," Manitoba replied. "And no one can say otherwise."

Mike smiled.

The after party was great. It wasn't too crazy, everyone had a good time talking about the show. The best part was when Duncan got everyone quiet to make an announcement. "So, you guys know that me and Zoey have been engaged for-" he looked at Zoey.

"Almost ten months."

"Yeah. We wanted to wait until the show's run was over, but since today was such a huge deal for all of us, I thought we should tell you guys." He looked at Zoey with a loving smile.

"We're finally going to get married!" Zoey said with excitement. "The ceremony's in a month."

The whole room processed that for a moment, then everyone cheered. Everyone went over to them and either hugged, high-fived, or gave them a thumbs up.

"You guys are so lucky."

"Congrats! I was wondering when you two would tie the knot."

"You have to show me your dress or we are done as friends, Zoey!"

"You two are what I wish I had when I had a wife next to me. Ah well, congrats. You two are gonna be great together."

"And you guys are invited to come," Zoey added.

Everyone started murmuring and getting excited.

Mike just looked pale. He would never find something to wear to this wedding. And he probably wouldn't be allowed to go, either.

"I'm happy for you two. But I don't know if I'll be able to come to your wedding…" he told them.

"Mike, you've got to be there. We'll bust you out of your attic if we have to, and do a number on that family of yours while we're at it!" Manitoba made a punching gesture with his hands.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I'll just have to ask Noah. He might understand."

"Sure, and I'm from Russia." Manitoba laughed.

Mike laughed a little too, but he knew Mani was right.

They all eventually went back to Owen's place, exhausted.

 **Please review! See y'all next Monday!:)**


	16. Chapter 16(meeting royals)

**A/N: The moment you've all been waiting for,when Mike and Ella first meet...actually happens in the next chapter.**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Forgive me for any weird or off characterization. I've never written Ella, Sky or Topher before.**

 **Enjoy!**

They got a day off from doing shows to relax, although the cast was asked to go with Trent to the theater to meet some people. Some very important people.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the royal family," a herald decreed. Two girls and a boy walked in. "His Royal Highness could not be here, unfortunately."

The two girls were obviously sisters. Both had short black hair. One had pale skin, while the other had a light tan, the pale one being taller. One was wearing a pink dress, the other purple. The one in the purple looked uncomfortable in what she was wearing.

The boy was quite a bit taller than the girls, and didn't look related to them at all. He was tan, with a swoosh of dirty blonde hair that looked well-cared for. He was dressed in dark blue. He looked very...enthusiastic.

"Oh my god, you guys did amazing! Not that I couldn't, but I'm not allowed to be an actor." The boy smiled, and his white teeth shined brightly,

"Prince Topher, please control yourself," one of the guards chided.

"Sorry, it's just exciting to meet some real performers!"

"Introducing Princess Skylar and Princess Ella." The guard gestured to the two girls.

"It's just Sky." Sky tried to keep herself poised though her voice was annoyed.

"Apologies, Princess." The guard bowed.

"Oh, I'm sure he didn't mean it, Sky." Ella turned and bowed to the actors. "Your performance was so inspiring! It was a beautiful show." She smiled at all of them.

Mike couldn't help but like the vibe that Ella gave off. She sounded so carefree and happy when she spoke. He couldn't actually see her, he was on the far end of the room, but he could hear her well.

Trent decided to make introductions for everyone in the cast. He pointed out who was who, and what part they'd played. Mike was at the end of the line.

"Oh, I loved your outfit during the play!" Ella said to Dakota.

"Thank you! I see pink is also your color. Who's your stylist?"

"Oh, she's wonderful! Does everything for everyone. She knows just what works for any occasion."

"Well Zoey is the best in the kingdom, if you ask me. She made everyone's costumes. And Brick is...okay. Though I'm pretty sure he's color blind."

"I'll have to speak with her. She sounds wonderful!"

Sky moved her eyes back to Trent. "So, Trent, who wrote the play you guys performed?"

"I did, although a few others did provide some insight," Trent replied, smiling pridefully.

"Ok. I don't think it was that realistic. The girl taking charge of her four brothers? Whose idea was that?"

"Also mine. Doesn't sound like you were too impressed."

Sky shrugged. "I don't think it's relatable."

Trent changed the subject. "So, you and Ella are…?"

"Oh, we're sisters!" Ella cut in.

"Yes, yes we are. Topher's our...distant cousin. He's visiting for the festival. " Sky glanced at him.

"Please, you know I'm here for more than that, and in case you didn't realize, I'm the most talented of the three of us," Topher boasted.

"You do have many admirable talents, but I believe we all have something that make us special! Like how I sing-" Ella began.

"Oh, you're a singer?" Trent asked, smiling.

Ella nodded.

"That's a coincidence. One of our actors expressed interest in singing a few months ago, and I used to be in a band where I sang."

"Really? How wonderful!"

Trent nodded and looked around, even paced the floor till he reached the end and returned to his spot. Where was he? "How does he keep doing that?" Trent shook his head and faced Ella. "Sorry. Looks like he disappeared again." He shrugged. "Maybe you could meet him at the festival."

"Oh, that'd be lovely!" Ella was intrigued by the idea. She wondered who this actor was. "Could I possibly have his name?"

"Oh, his name is-" Trent began.

"I'm sorry, but our time is up. These three have to make an appearance with their father- or uncle- in a little while."

"I'm sure you'll meet him eventually, Princess," Trent said, bowing.

Ella curtsied back. "I hope so! He sounds wonderful."

Trent and everyone else left the theater.

"Maybe Mike should be a magician with a disappearing act. Why does he keep ditching us?" Duncan wondered out loud.

Trent shrugged before looking around the area. He spotted Mike sitting on a didn't look too good. Manitoba was sitting next to him,with a hand around his shoulders. "Mike?" Trent asked softly.

Mike looked up at him. He wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry. I shouldn't have left like that. Seeing those two sisters together-they reminded me of when my brother was still around." He shot a quick look at Duncan before starting to cry again.

Duncan suddenly felt bad. Which he thought was stupid. It wasn't his fault that Mal or Mike's dad had gone missing in the first place, but he couldn't give Mike any consolation that they were still alive now.

Manitoba pulled Mike closer into a hug. "It's alright, little 'roo," he said soothingly.

"No, it's not alright. I don't understand how anyone could put someone through this- any of it. He's lost his immediate family, and his stepfamily treats him like nothing. He doesn't deserve this. No one does." Duncan sat next to Mike on his other side, then leaned in to whisper. "I know what I told you about Mal is hard to believe. But the stuff I told you, it happened a long time ago. Who knows, maybe he's changed." Assuming he was still alive. Mike had said he was told Mal was pretty much dead.

Mike wiped the tears off his face and pulled away from Mani, weakly smiling at Duncan. "I needed that. Thanks."

Duncan smiled back.

"Ok, guys. Mike, you look much better now. Mani and Duncan, you guys are amazing. Seriously." Trent smiled.

The three of them stood up.

"You guys can go back and chill in your rooms, okay?" Trent told everyone when they got back to the inn. "I know meeting royalty is totally crazy and awesome, but we all need our rest. Dinner's in a couple hours."

Mike lay down on his bed in the room he and Manitoba were sharing. The rom had two separate beds, a dresser and a chair. It was fairly basic.

Mani sat on his bed and took off his fedora, placing it on top of the chair, before looking at Mike. "Mate, can I ask you something?"

Mike sat up. "Sure."

"Who's Mal? I heard a bit o' what Duncan said to you on the bench. I'm a bit curious."

"He's-er, was-I don't know...my real brother."

"Ok. Just wonderin', is all." Mani put his head back on the mattress.

"Heh, right." Mike did the same. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before closing his eyes to try and take a nap. He felt exhausted.

 **My endings for these chapters are so original. Next chapter they explore some of the festival.**

 **Please review! See y'all next Monday!**


	17. Chapter 17(the festival)

**A/N: Long chapter! Also, quick announcement regarding updates:**

 **im going on a trip next week so the next chapter will likely be posted on Sunday. The week after I am also going on a (different) trip. I don't get much time between the two(one day!)so the chapter after that first will either go up Saturday or it won't go up till I come back. This is a long chapter so you should be fine in case that happens.**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter.:)**

 **Enjoy!**

The festival was a fun, colorful time. Everyone was told they could go wherever. Mike was asked to stick with someone or a few others since he was the youngest, and he chose to walk around with Brick, Dakota, and Manitoba. Brick and Dakota were continuing their debate on what color would better suit Mike, and Mani was laughing at their antics. Mike just tried to take it all in.

There were people selling all sorts of things in the streets leading up to the castle. Young children running about in bright clothing and bare feet, teenagers in groups ranging from two to ten, adults browsing. It felt and looked like a huge marketplace, but it carried a festive air about it from all the decorations and the general vibe of all the people from all over the kingdom talking with their different accents.

There was a green shop door sandwiched between a baker's stand and a creepy dude selling creepy puppets. It had a sign that screamed in bright pink lettering: NEW FASHION FOR THE NEW SEASON.

"Oh my gosh, you guys, we _have_ to go in here." Dakota pointed to it.

"Maybe we could finally settle our little disagreement, and get Mike something to wear for Duncan and Zoey's wedding." Brick smiled at Mike.

"Let's go!" Dakota grabbed Mike's hand and dragged him in.

"Coming, Manitoba?" Brick asked.

"Nah, not really into fashion much. I saw a stand selling some good ropes down the way, I'll meet you back over here in awhile." Mani tipped his fedora and walked off.

Brick entered the store and found Dakota and Mike. Dakota was holding a green shirt in front of Mike. "See, Brick, I told you, green is his color."

Brick searched for a moment before finding a shirt that was the perfect shade of blue. He held it in front of Dakota's. "See, it's blue."

"Well, _I_ say green!"

"And I am disagreeing with you. I say blue."

"You _are_ color blind! I knew it!"

"That is incorrect. I am perfectly capable of seeing color."

"Sure." Dakota rolled her eyes.

"Wait,"Brick looked around. "Where's Mike?"

"Ugh, again? What is up with him?" Dakota put the shirt down and exited the store. Brick followed.

Mike was standing just outside the door. "I didn't want to be the cause of you two arguing. I figured if I left, you two would stop."

"Mike, we're your friends. It was a silly argument, even if the outcome is majorly important," Dakota assured him.

"Yeah, it was stupid of us," Brick agreed, "you'd look good in anything, really."

"It's fun to debate about fashion."

"Ok, sorry," Mike said.

"It's fine, we can always come back later." Dakota waved it off.

The three of them continued to wander the festival. They caught up to Manitoba, who'd found a nice length of rope at the stand he'd mentioned to Brick earlier. "This'll be good when I go home and get time to practice my roping." It was fitted around one of his belt loops. "Why're you three over here? Seemed you would take forever in that fashion store."

"We started arguing and Mike totally left again. He was outside the store, but he was out of sight for a minute. We figured we'd go back later." Dakota shrugged.

Mike also shrugged, apologetically.

"Alright. Anyone hungry? 'Could catch us something to eat from one of them food people around us."

They all nodded.

The group found some food at various stands, and sat to eat it in the town square. Some dancer was performing in the center to a band, part of some contest going on based on the three judge-looking fellows to the side.

"Is she even dancing?" Dakota wrinkled her nose.

"It is difficult to tell. I have to avert my eyes to prevent being blinded." Brick looked back at the piece of bread he was finishing.

"She's okay, I guess." Mike knew he could do a much better job. He'd been told he was a good dancer. By his mother, of course, before she'd died. Everyone else made fun of him for it.

"She's awful, someone cover my eyes. Ugh let's go before she does something else." They all stood up to leave.

"Aw no, y'all hold it right there!" A voice suddenly yelled at them.

They all turned to see the dancer stride up to them, a hand on her hip. "What? We can't leave?" Dakota asked.

"I heard that trash you were talking ova here. And I ain't havin it! Leshawna don't run like that." She crossed her arms. "Y'all sayin you could do better?"

"No one said that," Mike spoke up.

Leshawna looked at him. "Mmhm. But you've been thinking it, I bet."

Mike shrugged.

"Come on, Sheila, leave 'em be." Manitoba stepped forward.

"Oh no! He thinks he can do better, he should prove it." Leshawna turned to what little crowd there was. "Come on, y'all, this boy needs to learn some respect!"

No one really responded, except for a guy with orange hair in the band who clapped. "Yeah, Leshawna!"

"I see you, baby!" Leshawna turned back to Mike and raised an eyebrow. "So? What's it gonna be?"

Mike took a deep breath. "Fine."

"Aight, let's do this!" Leshawna nodded to the band, who started a fast paced dance song that Mike recognized. His foot immediately started tapping. "That all you got? Come on, get moving!" Leshawna slid from side to side, her body moving and bouncing with the rhythm.

"I think I'm gonna vomit…" Dakota put her hand over her mouth.

Mike looked at Leshawna, then immediately looked away. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Dancing was like acting. You tell a story with your movements, keeping it natural and smooth.

He began to twirl on one foot. He slid around the space, spinning and moving his arms to the beat. His eyes were still closed, face determined yet relaxed.

Leshawna noticed him and stopped to watch for a moment. "Who you been working with, honey? You're moving like you done this a hundred times."

The band quieted down once Leshawna stopped. Mike slowed down as the rhythm did, until he was standing in the center, his eyes to the ground, barely breathing hard.

Brick, Dakota, and Mani all started clapping. Then some others who'd joined the crowd. Finally, Leshawna began to politely applaud as well, Mike blushed.

"Baby, what's your name?" Leshawna asked Mike. "You got some o' the best moves I've seen. Other than my own." She flipped her hair.

"Oh, I'm Mike." Mike rubbed his neck shyly in reaction to the praise.

"Mm. Mike, you got some talent on you. Better use it, or I'll come find ya again and make sure you do! Where you from, anyway?"

"A town a few hours from here."

"I got to get you to meet some of my dancin' friends later. You around here much longer?"

"We're leaving tomorrow, right, guys?" Mike turned to his friends.

Manitoba nodded.

"No, you're leaving right now." Noah suddenly was there, walking through the crowd, an air of importance about him. "What on earth are you wearing, servant?" he immediately singled out Mike, and grabbed his arm.

Mike felt himself shrinking. All the confidence he'd felt when he was dancing and talking to Leshawna was gone.

"Um, pardon me, but that's my friend there. He ain't going anywhere with you, ya dingo." Manitoba had stood up and walked over, his arms crossed.

"He is in my legal custody. I own him. Now get out of my way." Noah's voice had no emotion.

"Oh, you're his stepdaddy, aren't ya? I've heard about you." Mani frowned.

Mike had freed himself of Noah's rather weak grip and ran out of the festival. He didn't want to go home. Not yet.

He ended up on a path that led outside of the downtown area where the festival was, to this grassy expanse surrounded by trees, the horizon dotted with large houses. His feet hurt from the dancing and running, and there was a small mark on his arm where Noah's hand had grabbed it. He sighed as he drifted.

He heard someone singing a familiar song. He followed the voice down the path into the woods, to a small clearing.

There sat a girl he could not recognize in the moment.

Her dark hair was just a touch looser around her shoulders, her pale skin contrasting it. There were multiple birds around her, chirping along to her sweet voice.

 _"With a smile and a song,_

 _Life is just a bright sunny day_

 _Your cares fade away_

 _And your heart is young_

 _With a smile and a song_

 _All the world seems to awaken anew_

 _Rejoicing with you_

 _As the song is sung_

Mike slowly joined in. Their voices layered over each other. She didn't seem to notice his presence.

 _"There's no use in grumbling_

 _When the raindrops come tumbling_

 _Remember, you're the one_

 _Who can fill the world with sunshine_

 _When you smile and you sing_

 _Everything's in tune and it's spring_

 _And life flows along_

 _With a smile and a song"_

The girl was dancing around the clearing during the song. Her footsteps were light and the animals followed her. One of the birds chirped something only she could understand. She appeared to have been so lost in herself, she hadn't realized the voice that had joined her had stopped.

Mike fell silent when she did, and didn't dare approach her.

She turned and saw who the bird was referring to.

"Hi," Mike said shyly, his voice quiet.

"Hello. Was that your voice I heard just now, singing with me?"

Mike nodded. "I know the words, I couldn't help myself."

"Well, how could you? It's a beautiful song. My animal friends liked it very much." She was smiling.

"I'm sure they did." Hearing her voice told him he was speaking to Princess Ella. He didn't say anything about it though.

Ella looked over him. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"

"I don't think so." Mike shrugged. He figured she might recognize him from the show.

"Well, you have a beautiful singing voice."

"Thanks." Mike blushed. He wasn't used to being complimented on his singing. "So do you."

Ella also blushed. "Thank you. I don't ever get to sing around the castle."

"You live in the castle?" Mike pretended to be surprised.

Ella nodded. "It's wonderful, except I'm not allowed to sing. My father doesn't like it." She sighed. "Neither does my sister."

"I get it. My-er-family doesn't exactly enjoy it." Mike shrugged.

Ella smiled at him, though a question racked her brain. "May I ask why you're out here, instead of enjoying the festival?"

"Uh- it got too loud. It's quiet out here. Easier to think." Mike shrugged.

"Your Highness! Where are you? Your cheap dad needs you back hom p!" A voice called out from the path.

Ella looked in the direction of the voice, then back at Mike. "I'm sorry, I have to go. It was lovely meeting you…" she began walking in the direction of the voice. "Can you give me your name, in case we might see each other again?"

"Oh, it's-" he began to say his name.

"Come on! I don't have all day! Let's go!" the voice called back out as it moved closer.

"I hope we see each other again!" Ella called back to Mike.

Mike just stood there. A woman with blonde hair riding a horse came through and stopped in front of him. She frowned at the sight of Mike. "Hey, skinny, what are you doing out here?" Her voice was curious and yet slightly ticked off. Mike recognized it as the one calling out before.

"Just out for a walk in the forest," Mike said a bit nervously.

"Uh huh. Sure. Don't go too far, there are rogues in this forest. Not a place for some skinny stick like you."

"Sorry, I was leaving."

"Good. Now I have to go search for a stupid princess…" She shook her head before her horse galloped away.

Mike turned to walk back into the city, wondering what had happened at the scene he'd left.

He would find out later that night from Manitoba, but I suppose you can know now, as well as what became of his stepfather immediately afterwards:

After Mike freed himself from Noah's grip and fled, Noah wanted to go after him, but Manitoba stepped in front of him so Mike could escape. "You ain't going anywhere, dingo."

"Let me pass, you Australian idiot! Don't you know who I am?" Noah protested. Manitoba was taller than him, and he attempted to go around him to no avail.

"I don't care. You're tryin' to hurt Mike, that's all I need to know." Manitoba was frowning.

Leshawna walked up to Noah and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "You try to run off an' harm that sweet boy, I'll get you where it really hurts."

"I'm not intimidated by either of you. Let go of me!" Noah yelled in protest again.

"Not 'til he's out o' sight so you can't get to him again." Manitoba looked behind him. Mike was long gone. "Put 'im down, Sheila," she told Leshawna.

"Aight, fine, but I got my eye on you, creeper." Leshawna glared at Noah. "Got no respect in ya."

"I don't care what you believe I do and don't have. It's obvious what needs to be done. Goodbye." Noah left the square, finding Scott and Vito waiting at a stand around the corner.

"What happened? Was there a fight? Did you win?" Scott immediately asked eagerly.

"Shut up, your voice is contributing to my now foul mood." Noah continued walking.

Scott and Vito looked at each other. "Ey Dad, you gonna do somethin'?" Vito asked.

"Oh, I certainly am. Mike's going to have a _great_ homecoming." An almost evil grin spread across Noah's face.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own those song lyrics. They're from Snow White(the 1939 film) and rights go where they belong. Also, still don't own any of these characters.**

 **Please review! See y'all next time!**


	18. Chapter 18(coming home to finish things)

**A/N: Here it is, the next chapter, a day early!**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Enjoy!:)**

Mike returned to the inn by the time everyone else did. He received a hug from those who'd been there when Noah had shown up and crashed the party. "We were so scared, Mike!" Dakota said. "If that evil guy had taken you, Brick would've been in the show again, and no way is that going to happen! He can't act!" She shook her head.

"That was my stepfather. And he's not evil," Mike disagreed.

"You sure 'bout that? He had that look on 'im, like he was up to something." Manitoba narrowed his eyes in thought before shaking his head. "Ah, I won't worry about it right now. Good to see you in one piece."

"Can we acknowledge your amazing dancing, Mike? You were so good! _Way_ better than that street performer." Dakota changed the subject.

Mike blushed. "I did ok. Leshawna was cool about it." He shrugged.

"You did awesome, mate! One of the best dances I've seen." Manitoba smiled at him.

"Thanks."

Mike and everyone else ate dinner at Owen's place. "Make sure you guys pack up, 'cause we're heading home tomorrow morning," Trent told them.

Mike went to bed trying to keep his mind off of going home. "Hey, Mani?" he asked once they were back in their room.

"Yeah?"

"Could I...stay with you for the rest of the show's run? I don't think I can go home yet after what happened today."

Manitoba smiled. "O' course you can!"

Mike smiled.

The next day was crazy yet again, with packing things into the carriages for the ride home and getting everyone sorted out. The cast and crew would be going directly to their places of residence, so they were grouped based on what side of town they lived in. Normally that would mean Mike being seated with Duncan, Zoey, and Beth, but since he was staying with Manitoba, Mike would be with Trent and him on the ride back. Which was fine.

Before Mike's carriage left, Zoey handed him a slip of paper. It had the date, time and place of the wedding scrawled across the top, no doubt by Duncan. "Just in case," she told him.

Mike kept it in his pants pocket on the way back. He'd never been to Manitoba's house before.

Manitoba threw his stuff to the side of the door as soon he walked in, after they both got their things and waved farewell to Trent for now. "Alright. You can stay in 'ere as long as you need to." He pointed to a room with just a bed and a chair. "Finally have use of a guest room again. No one's been in there since my wife left and people stopped visiting."

"Ok…" Mike looked around. The house wasn't big like his, but it was nice. He took his stuff and left it on the chair.

"I'll be back with dinner in a bit. Feel free to look around more, but try not to break anything." Manitoba tipped his hat before heading out.

Mike found a few interesting things: a boomerang, a script for a play he'd never heard about, and a few different fedoras in various places.

He tried on one of the fedoras. It was black with a thin layer of dirt on it. He looked in a small mirror in what appeared to be Manitoba's bedroom. It made him look alike to him. Duncan had been right, they could be twins. "G'day, Sheila!" Mike said in his best impression of Mani's Australian accent.

"Very funny, mate. Make fun o' the Australian." Manitoba had reentered the house, food with him. He was smirking.

Mike put the fedora back down and rubbed his neck while looking at the ground, embarrassed. "Heh. Sorry."

Manitoba picked the hat back up, dusted it off, and put it back on Mike's head. "Keep it. Looks better on you."

Mike smiled. They ate dinner and then Mike decided he ought to get some rest. They had a show tomorrow.

The rest of the run was successful. When it was over, the day after the final show, the crew struck the set and everyone said goodbye to each other. PThere were many hugs exchanged.

Mike had brought his stuff with him from Manitoba's house to the theater that last day. He was going to return to his house. He would no doubt be greeted less than pleasantly, and Manitoba tried to talk him out of it. "I have to go back, Mani. I have to."

Manitoba shook his head. "I don't think I'll ever really understand you, Mike. Take care of yourself." They hugged.

Zoey handed out the legit wedding invites to everyone. "I hope you all can make it." She gave Mike a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Be careful, Mike." She smiled at him.

Duncan wasn't one to exchange these kinds of pleasantries. He did say goodbye to Mike. "Yeah, if you could be there, it'd mean a lot to Zoey. And maybe me too. I don't really care."

"You auditioning for the next show?"

"Um, yeah. I might get a job fixing things to get more money in the meantime, but I do want to keep acting."

"I'm probably just gonna keep doing the same thing." Mike sighed.

"Don't let them get to you."

"I'll try."

"Good."

Mike walked home by himself. It was dark when he arrived.

 **Please review! See you next time(hopefully this Saturday)**


	19. Chapter 19(little transition chapta)

**A/N: I'm back with a short chapter. It's transitional and tiny, but the last few chapters were pretty lengthy. The next chapter should be longer.**

 **School starts for me next week on Tuesday. I'm not sure how it will effect updates moving forward, if at all. Just keep an eye out.**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

His stepbrothers were sitting in the living room, like they were prepared to beat him up at any moment. Scott did, anyway. "Where have you been, Multiple Mike? We've been wondering when you'd get home. We were so worried!" He snickered from the couch, his arms folded.

Mike frowned at this new nickname. He walked as quickly as he could out of the front room and towards the staircase that led to the second floor.

"Woah, where do you think you're going?" Scott got up from the couch to follow Mike's path before grabbing him by the shirt and turning him around.

"To my room."

Scott looked up at the attic then back down, or rather up, at Mike, since Scott was much shorter. "Dad said he wants you cleaning the place starting yesterday." Scott pushed him a little.

"But what about my stuff-"

"I said _now_!"

"Ok, give me a minute." Mike ran up the attic stairs, threw his bag on his bed, took off his nice shirt to replace it with the one he wore when he cleaned, and wrapped a handkerchief around his head to keep his hair out of his face. He replaced his decent shoes and kept his feet pulled on a pair of pants that had a hole in them. He ran back down.

"That was longer than a minute." Scott shoved Mike towards the broom leaning against the wall. Mike stopped himself. He glared at Scott before picking up the broom and beginning to sweep.

"Make sure you don't miss a spot! I'm going to bed." Scott looked at Vito, still sitting on the couch. "Coming, Vito?"

"Nah, I'm not tired. I'll get there in a minute, bro."

Scott rolled his eyes and climbed the stairs to the second floor.

It became eerily quiet minus the sound of sweeping. Mike didn't say anything to Vito, and he didn't say anything to Mike.

Mike finished cleaning within the hour and went back upstairs with his limbs aching from all that work.

 **Please review! See y'all next Monday.**


	20. Chapter 20(little before-wedding chapta)

**A/N: Another short chapter. But it's chapter 20! Thank you all so much for reading and, hopefully, liking this story as it's developed into what it is now. :)**

 **that being said, I start school again tomorrow(noooooo) so updates may get a bit shaky. I'll do my best.**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse and the guest for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

The following weeks were a combination of work, insults, and little hope at all, really. Mike was kept busy with the housework yet rarely saw his elusive stepfather.

Mike was aware his pay from the play would come in soon. He hoped to buy something to wear to Zoey and Duncan's wedding with some of it. If he was allowed to go. He had yet to have enough time to ask Noah.

As his luck, if you could call it that, would have it, Noah was lingering in the living room one afternoon while Mike was cleaning off some of the tables in there. Noah was leafing through some official looking papers and shaking his head. He looked almost angry.

Mike looked up for a moment and the two of them made brief eye contact. "Um, sir, may I ask you about something?" he spoke up as he looked away again.

"Look at me when you speak to me, servant. And fine, what do you want, as if I will actually care?" Noah crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Two of my friends are getting married in about a week. Would you let me go? It won't cost you anything, I'm getting my check from the production soon-"

"Oh, you mean this?" Noah held up an envelope, addressed to Mike with the company seal on it.

Mike stared. Noah had taken his money out of the mail and didn't tell him? "Yes, that."

"I'm not really sorry, servant. But your money is my money, and I will do whatever I choose with it. You belong to me."

"What do you need it for?"

"That is none of your business." Noah was lying. Mike could tell. "Don't speak of it again. Get back to work, and I might let you walk there in your filthy rags." He left the room swiftly.

Noah hadn't said no. He hadn't answered the question at all. He'd just turned the conversation on its head to insult Mike and take his belongings.

Mike made a decision: He was going to the wedding. He didn't know what he would wear, or how he'd get there, but he'd find a way.

As luck would have it, he ran into Brick while he was in town to get some more food later that same day. He didn't like Brick to see him this way, still in tattered clothes since he'd not been allowed to change before heading out.

"Of course I can make you something for the wedding, Mike. That's what comrades do for each other." Brick gave him a quick salute.

"I can't pay you. My stepfather took my money from the show." Mike sighed.

"Now, that's just criminal. You earned that money with your hard work. You ought to tell somebody." Brick added, "and besides, I'd never accept money from a friend.

Mike nodded. "Thank you, Brick."

"Anytime, soldier." Brick saluted him again

Mike saluted back before heading back home. He'd already bought what he'd needed to.

 **Please review! And see you(hopefully) next Monday!**


	21. Chapter 21(the wedding)

**A/N: IM BACK WITH THIS STORY**

 **I apologize for the long wait. Writers block plus life isn't a good combination.**

 **this now has 3,000 views which is like, whoa. So thanks for taking the time to click it and read, whether or not you liked it. *thumbs up***

 **Sorry if the stuff in the chapter itself feels a bit rushed, I wanted to get this out of the way so I can move this story forward.**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing last chapter :)**

 **Enjoy!**

The day before the wedding came.

Mike lay on his bed. It was early morning. No one else was awake. "I'm sneaking out," he told himself. "I'm not breaking a law or anything." But he was, in a way, at least that's how he felt. "Noah doesn't control me. I'm practically an adult." He sat up and quickly did the chores he'd need to do before leaving. If he didn't do them it would be obvious something was up.

Once that was done he hurriedly made his escape out the front door, silent.

He walked to town and met Brick and Manitoba in front of the theater once the sun rose. They would all be going together. Brick handed him a shirt and a pair of pants, neatly folded. "Try these on when we get there. I should have time to make quick adjustments if needed before tomorrow."

Mike nodded. "Thanks again, Brick." He put it in the bag he'd brought with him.

Manitoba gave Mike a hug. "Nice to see you again, mate." It had felt like forever since they'd seen each other, even though it had only been a couple of weeks.

They all got into a carriage that Mani was paying for. The ride was an hour out from town.

It was this park-y type place that had a lot of flowers arranged, a place for outdoor weddings. There was a small town nearby, far smaller than their own. It would be a small wedding to match, just close friends and family.

By this time Noah had realized that Mike had disappeared. "When he comes back I'll be sure he doesn't step foot off of this property…" he growled to himself.

"Ey, Dad, I been wonderin this awhile...why do you hate on Mike so much?" Vito asked when he noticed. Noah's expression.

Noah looked over at his son with a blank face before leaving the room silently. Mike was going to have a very unpleasant welcome….

But let's not worry about that for now. Let's instead go on to the wedding.

Duncan stood around the altar nervously with the guy doing all the vows preparing himself. He had on a nice black suit and his hair was neatly brushed. He waved to Mike, Brick and Mani as they took their seats. Soon enough it began.

Fast forward through the ceremony.

"You may kiss the bride," the vow dude declared.

Duncan and Zoey both smiled and kissed. Everyone clapped. A few tears were shed.

Later that night at the reception, Mike watched from his table with a smile as the newlyweds shared a dance.

Suddenly his hand was taken and he was whisked to the dance floor by Dakota, who was giggling playfully. Laughing a bit, he danced with her, leading as she stumbled a bit.

"Wasn't that such a pretty wedding?" Dakota asked him as they danced.

"It was. I'm glad I was able to come and see it," he replied with a smile, twirling her a bit. The skirt of her pink dress fanned out as she spun and she grinned.

The whole night was fun and festive and Mike quite honestly didn't want it to end. He ended up dancing with a few other girls and even once with Zoey, to Duncan's reluctance. "I promise I won't carry her off, Duncan," he vowed with a smile.

The two danced for a little while. Zoey looked joyful in her wedding dress, which had an embroidered floral pattern on the bodice and skirt and an embroidered sash around the waist. Her red hair came down in short waves.

"This was a beautiful wedding. I'm so happy for you two," Mike told her with a smile.

"Thank you," she replied as she twirled him a bit. It was a bit difficult given their height difference but he managed to make it graceful."We were excited to see you made it out here. Duncan was really worried something might have happened and you couldn't make it, since no one really heard from you after the show ended..."

"I did have to be quiet about leaving yesterday, but I managed," he replied, taking the lead from her onto for her to take it back.

"It's my wedding, so I lead," she explained with a slight smirk.

Mike laughed a bit and they continued until they both were satisfied with dancing, and they retired to their respective tables. He saw Duncan put an arm around Zoey when she sat next to him and she rested her head on his shoulder.

Everyone would return home the next morning. There were many hugs exchanged at the end of the night.

 **Please review and I'll see y'all next time!**


	22. Chapter 22(sneaking in, and time skip)

**A/N: writers block. It's the worst, isn't it?**

 **Another chapter(finally), because motivation hits at the weirdest times for me it seems**

 **Also this fic is over a year old now so that's kinda crazy :0**

 **Thank you to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter :)**

 **Enjoy!**

It was a struggle to get back into the house without being noticed. Mike was aided by his friends, thankfully. Manitoba had a ladder, luckily, and he used that to scale the wall up to the attic window as the sun began to se. He waved down to Mani and Brick, who had helped as well, and walked quietly into his room, setting his bag down and starting to crawl into bed when the light was turned on and he flinched.

"Well well well...look who's home," Scott sneered, standing next to the lamp.

"Scott? Wh-what are you doing in my room?" Mike asked fearfully.

"There's a front door, Mike, it's there for a reason," another familiar voice spoke from the shadows.

"I-I...I'm sorry, Noah, I-I really wanted to go to the wedding, and you didn't say no when I asked...please don't hurt me…" Mike pleaded.

Noah rolled his eyes.

Scott punched Mike in the stomach as he was looking towards where Noah's voice had come from in the shadows. Mike doubled over in pain, and Scott then kicked him to the ground, dirtying his clothing and causing a sharp pain in his side. He'd changed back into his less fancy clothes so he wasn't ruining the outfit from Brick, the one minor positive to this situation. Noah watched and smirked to himself from the shadows.

After Scott had finished beating him up, he left and Noah began making his exit. Mike crawled onto his bed, nose bleeding and everything else in pain. He started quietly crying as he looked for something to stopper the blood coming from his nose. He found something eventually and quickly dealt with the blood before lying down and struggling to fall asleep.

O-O-O

The next morning, having had little sleep the night before, Mike got up and painfully started his chores. Noah was up early as well, reading some files in his office with the door open so he could keep an eye on Mike.

Mike had difficulty with most of his usual tasks, due to a feeling in his ankle each time he took a step that left him in pain. He feared the worst injury but also saying anything to provoke another beating or more ridicule, so he was quiet as he swept and occasionally stumbled, knocking a few objects over and breaking one of them. Hearing the crash Noah closed the files, stood and left his office to watch Mike hurriedly pick up the mess and mutter apologies. "Dumb servant," Noah muttered venomously.

Mike sniffled hearing that. It wouldn't be the last time he was called it, either.

In the next months he was rarely addressed as himself, but as 'servant', 'dumb servant,' 'bastard cleaning boy', and on rare occasions still by Scott,'multiple Mike.' That was only if he was reading aloud from old scripts. Mike never talked back to any of them except for a 'yes, sir,' or 'right away,' as he fell deeper into a state of hopelessness at anything changing.

He'd been barred from leaving the property except for rare occasions, so being in another show was out of the question. When Trent had come to the house to ask about it Noah had stoically told him Mike did not live there.

Time crawled slowly on, the days in the house blended together. Scott and Vito had grown lazier and spoiled everyday, Noah seemed more bitter, and Mike hid any sign of depression from them.

It was only one day, about a year following the last show, that a knock was made at the door.

Mike had been dusting a table in the front of the house. He'd changed in appearance in that year, and when he opened the door to see who it was the person nearly didn't recognize him. It took a minute. "Mike?"

"...Duncan?"

"Yeah. Man, it's been awhile…" Duncan said with a half smile as he took in Mike's battered, older appearance. He himself looked different as well, having been married for nearly a year and working.

"Yeah, sure has...come in," Mike said in a quiet, deeper voice than he had last they'd spoken, at the wedding.

Duncan entered, and after a few minutes of catching up chat he pulled something out of his pocket. "I'm supposed to deliver this, it's to promote the show…"

Mike nodded in understanding. "I'll take it, I can give it to Noah…"

Duncan nodded and handed him the paper. "It kinda sucked not having you this year, there was a part you would've nailed," he admitted.

"I couldn't do anything about it, I'm not really allowed to-"

"Servant, whose voice is that?" Scott called from another room.

"It's a messenger, sir…" Mike replied tensely, as if embarrassed because Duncan was there.

Scott walked in, in a white shirt and brown pants. "What'd he bring in?"

"Nothing, I'll tell you and the other two later…" Mike replied.

Scott frowned. "Tell me now."

"Why should he?" Duncan asked, looking at Scott.

Scott looked at Duncan and narrowed his eyes. "He's a servant," he spat in reply.

Mike looked at the floor.

"You should go," Scott said to Duncan. "You wouldn't want Dad to see you here…"

Duncan glared at Scott then looked at Mike again. "Don't worry, I'll tell people about this," he promised as he started to leave.

Mike wanted to ask him to stay but he kept looking at the floor. He had no power over Scott. If he resisted that order he'd be beaten or maybe starved for a couple days, whatever mood Scott and then Noah was in.

Duncan did tell the people that mattered what was going on in that house. They all tried to think of ways to get Mike out of there. They could remember last year at the festival, those that had been there and were still with the company.

There was a way, but it relied on Noah being lenient, and listening to the words written on a piece of paper.

 **Please review if you feel so moved, they're always appreciated. :)**


	23. Chapter 23(the infamous invitation)

**A/N: getting ever so close to the end...**

 **Thanks going out to La Rosa Rossa and Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter :)**

 **Enjoy!**

"Ey yo, how freakin cool is this, bro?" Vito asked as he read the invitation.

"Gimme that back!" Scott tried to snatch it from him and Vito pushed him away.

Despite being a year older now, neither of them seemed to have matured at all in regards to their sibling relationship. They still bickered often over little things.

Mike just watched, having been the one to hand the invite to Noah at first. Noah was sighing in disappointment that his sons hadn't grown up, and he pushed Mike off to get back to work.

The invite had been to a party in the capital. A dance that would be held in the Royal palace during the upcoming annual festival, to be hosted by the royals. The king hoped to get some future partners for his daughters and possibly his nephew, or at least one of them.

Everyone was invited. It said so on the paper.

"If you two wouldn't fight for a minute I'd hurry you off to get suits made…" Noah said to his sons.

The two stopped and looked at him.

Noah motioned them to come closer, and he spoke low enough that hopefully Mike wouldn't hear as he began to sweep. "I hope you realize this could be our ticket. If one of you married a princess, I could pay my debts, get us out of this-this _hole_ of a house and away from the law."

"Ey, finally getting chance with the ladies! Vito is in!" Vito cheered quietly, grinning.

"I gotta get in too, they got some real lovely ladies up in that capital…" Scott smirked.

"Um, what about me?" Mike asked, having heard the whole conversation.

The three slowly turned to look at him. Scott started laughing. "That's real funny, Multiple Mike. Hilarious." He kept laughing. "You think a princess would be interested in _you_?"

Vito laughed along with his brother, though not as profusely.

Noah just grimaced at Mike. "Servant, this is the king wanting a partner for the princesses. You would never make a good king. You're just a servant."

Scott snickered. "Damn right," he agreed.

Vito was quiet.

"So you think _they_ would make better kings than me? Anyway, I don't even care about going to see the princesses, I just want to get out of this house for once!" Mike hadn't raised his voice in argument in so long, he'd forgotten what it felt like. He found he liked it.

Noah frowned as a thoughtful look crossed his face. He smirked like he knew something Mike didn't. "Okay, servant. You can go, _if_."

"If what?" Whatever it was, he would do it.

If the day of our departure you finish all your chores and something suitable to wear, maybe I will allow it."

"Really?" It seemed too easy.

"Yes...if you don't in time, you may not leave."

Mike cracked a smile at the thought of a little bit of freedom. "Thank you, sir…"

Noah nodded, then hid a cryptic smile. "Come on you two, before the line is too long." He dragged both his sons out of the room.

Mike picked his broom up and continued to sweep, smiling and humming a little, something he hadn't done in forever.

Did he trust Noah? No, of course not. But this was too good a chance to pass up.

He wouldn't waste it.

 **Please review if you feel so moved. Til next time, see ya! :)**


	24. Chapter 24(riding to the capital)

**A/N: *flops down onto bed* FINALLY this chapter is done. Again, not one of my best, but it'll get better*crosses fingers***

 **Thanks going out to La Rosa Rossa and Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter, :)**

 **Enjoy!**

The day they were to depart for the festival Mike was given every chore imaginable. Some he'd never even heard of. He managed all of them, just in time. He'd been at one point asked to go out and find something in town-a sign maybe he was being trusted more-and he ran into Manitoba, who was also heading to the capital along with the theater company. Manitoba almost didn't recognize him and hugged him tightly. "You look real banged up…" he commented upon taking in his appearance .

"It's not as bad as it could be…" Mike excused with a shrug that caused him to wince. His shoulders ached. His back did too. His posture had worsened over the year from constantly bending over cleaning.

Manitoba released him from the hug. "Don't need to worry, mate, we gone get you outta that hell," he promised softly. He didn't say exactly how it would happen.

After their brief talk had continued a little while longer, Mike returned with the items he'd been sent out to get…and found that his stepfamily was going out the door. "I'm afraid you were a bit late, servant," Noah said as he stepped into the carriage. "Better hurry."

Mike frantically climbed the stairs and grabbed the luggage he'd packed earlier. He hurried back out but the carriage was already far down the road. _No. No…NO! You're not leaving me here_. Mike started to run down to try and catch up. It hurt immensely but he managed to grab on to the back and pull himself on, clinging to the back of the carriage with all the strength he could muster while keeping his bag secure. He needed to remain silent or he'd be spotted stowing away. Not that he wouldn't be by passerby, but those people said nothing.

An agonizingly long trip later the family arrived to a nice house Noah had rented for them to stay in. Noah and his two sons exited the carriage and made their way inside, while Mike waited til they were inside to jump off the carriage and run in the opposite direction, towards a familiar part of town. He'd be back that night, when he was less likely to be caught.

When he did return that night, it was about half an hour after sunset and the sky was still growing darker every minute. Usually the younger members of his stepfamily were asleep by dark. Mike crept in through the back door that Scott had left open during the initial explanation of the house hours earlier. He looked around, the halls and lower floor difficult to step through because of the darkness shrouding it. He walked carefully through until he found a staircase leading up to the second floor.

Suddenly a light came on and Mike flinched. Scott slowly grinned maliciously from the top of the staircase. "Hello, Multiple Mike…" he greeted him slowly, heading down the steps. He appeared oddly energized. Not sleepy at all.

"Scott-I mean, sir-wh-why are you awake?" Mike asked, fear in his voice.

"I heard the door opening. Dad and Vito are asleep," Scott replied as he now stood almost face to face with Mike. He'd grown quite a bit in the last year. "Which means no one but us around to hear. How did you even get here?" he asked interrogatively.

"...I hitchhiked," Mike admitted, looking at the floor.

"No wonder the carriage moved so slow. Deadweight…" Scott punched him in the abdomen.

Mike winced slightly, but had been hit there enough times that by now he was almost used to the pain.

Scott grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, flattened his hand against Mike's chest, and pushed him backwards so Mike stumbled. He glanced down at the bag in one of Mike's hands and snatched it from him before Mike fell back too far. "What's in here? Your fancy pants?" He opened it up and started to empty the bag roughly onto the floor.

Mike regained his footing and watched helplessly as Scott went through his things. Scott gasped upon finding something nice in there. It was the shirt Mike had worn to the wedding, and he'd planned to wear it again to the dance at the palace, along with the pants that had come with it and an overcoat that had belonged to his brother. "What's this!?" he asked, shoving it in Mike's face, his voice loud. "Did you want to wear this to that dance?" Scott laughed.

Footsteps were heard before Mike could form an answer. Noah entered the room, appearing unhappy to have been disturbed. Upon seeing Mike his expression became oddly neutral. "Servant…" he started before addressing his son. "Scott, go back to bed."

Scott threw the shirt on the floor, gave Mike a dirty look, glanced at his father, and hurried back upstairs.

Noah hadn't looked at Scott as this happened. He was instead looking at Mike. "As I recall, you finished all the tasks I gave you…"

Mike nodded.

Noah smiled a small, enigmatic smile. "...the deal has changed," he said, picking up the clothes from the floor. "You resume your normal duties while we are here and you find something to wear, maybe, just maybe, I will let you attend that dance."

"...I already have something to wear,'' Mike said, his voice quiet.

"No, you don't." Noah took the bag and the clothes and walked off. "Get to work."

Mike watched his vanish into the darkness and sighed sadly. This just got even more difficult.

 **Please review if you feel so moved, and til next time, see ya :)**


	25. Chapter 25(departing for the ball(not))

**A/N: I've been feeling motivated to work on this story and get it done so here's the next chapter.**

 **Please enjoy!**

The silence was slowly killing him.

The other three males in the house were never home during the day. They all were out dawn to dusk doing Mike didn't know what; his best guess was that Noah let Scott and Vito loose in town while he attended to other things.

There was always a list of things for Mike to do that kept him inside and out of the festival happening a mere fifteen minute walk away. He wouldn't go out even if he didn't have a million chores to do, as he had a single set of clothing whose whereabouts he was only certain of because they were consistently on his body. Noah had hidden his other clothing away.

The loneliness he felt every day when he was left locked inside caused him to try and combat the eerie silence of the unfamiliar house. He hummed while he swept the floor that was free of any dirt, found a bookshelf and read aloud some of the volumes there... sometimes he'd simply have conversations with himself and think out loud.

 _I'm finally going off the deep end_ he muttered in thought at one point.

The day of the great party arrived, about three days after they'd come to the capital, and for once there was activity. Noah was getting Scott and Vito prepared to possibly meet the princesses while Mike dusted things off and eventually was forced to help them dress since they couldn't do it themselves.

"How hot do you think the ladies will be at this dance thing?" Scott asked his brother as he was handed his waistcoat by Mike, who was met with a silent sneer.

"Ey, they're gonna be done up real nice, bro," Vito replied as he slipped on his nice overcoat. "Lookin real hot."

Scott grinned mischievously. "Bet I get one first." He looked at Mike and frowned. "Hurry up!"

"Sorry, sir…" Mike apologized quietly as he buttoned the waistcoat up for Scott and then handed him his coat.

"Ey Mike, hand me my hair stuff," Vito said. He was looking in a mirror.

Mike nodded and started to head to the dresser where it was being kept.

"What's with you being so nice to the servant?" Scott asked Vito with a suspicious look.

Vito shrugged as Mike grabbed the product and brought it over, placing it in his hand. Vito started using the stuff on his hair to slick it back.

Scott narrowed his eyes as he ran a hand through his own orange and spiky hair. "Can I get some of that stuff?" he asked Vito.

"Chill. When I used it enough I'll give you some," Vito replied.

Scott waited a second and then swiped it from Vito. "Ey!" Vito protested. "Not cool, yo! Give that back!"

"Come get it!" Scott ran out of the room and Vito quickly followed. This left Mike alone in the room.

The room was the shared bedroom of Scott and Vito. An idea struck him. Glancing at the door to make sure his two stepbrothers were out of sight, Mike walked to the chest of drawers he knew contained some of their clothing. Vito's clothes were more likely to fit him than Scott's, so he looked for some of those. Anything that was nice. It took a little while but he found a shirt and a pair of pants eventually. He found an old overcoat of Scott's that had been brought for some reason and grabbed that as well. Hurriedly he took the items to his room, down the hall. It was a somewhat spacious closet that he'd cleared out days earlier. He stashed the clothes there and rushed back to the other room before Scott and Vito could return and find him absent.

Soon enough it was time to depart. Mike had to quickly change into his clothes and hope his stepfamily didn't notice the borrowed items. He'd never seen the other two wear these items, after all. He doubted Noah had either.

Unfortunately he was incorrect. Scott, Noah and Vito-mostly Noah and Scott-were aghast to see Mike stepping out of the house behind them in clothing that not only wasn't ripped, but looked nice and didn't belong to him. "I finished all my chores and I found something to wear," he said when Noah questioned him.

Scott shoved him backwards so Mike fell to the steps below, wincing. "I can't believe you even had the nerve to steal from us!" Scott sneered at him, grabbing his jacket by the sleeve and trying to take it off Mike. This only caused the sleeve to rip. "You look hideous."

Seeing this apparently gave Noah an idea. He walked over and pretended to help Mike up-by pulling on his shirt collar, causing that to rip as well. "Such awful clothing construction," he remarked despite having bought the clothing himself. "I thought you had friends in the costume industry. That's what this is, servant-a _costume_." He tore apart the fabric further until it would be useless to wear, and let Mike fall back onto the stairs. "Let's go," he said to his two sons. He walked off towards the carriage and Scott and Vito followed. Scott put one more tear in the jacket.

Mike teared up as he watched them leave. He was in pain and his clothes were ripped and worthless and he didn't know what to do. He shakily stood up and closed the door. He sniffled and turned around. There was a mirror not to far from the front and he looked at himself. He looked sad, worn out. His hair was long and dirty and his face was bruised and scarred, as were his arms. His posture was horrific.

He slid the jacket off and threw it onto a chair. He then took the shirt off and did the same with that-the pants he wore were still intact. He slumped into a different chair, shirtless, and placed his hand over his face, feeling the water from his eyes starting to escape. He didn't know what to do at this point. He just didn't know.

 **Please review of you feel so moved. See ya next time :)**


	26. Chapter 26(jump cuts-dance and Mike)

**A/N: another chapter finally, yayyyyy**

 **school started up again for me recently so that and severe writers block is the reason for my not updating anything for a while.**

 **This chapter is structured a bit differently in that it jumps back and forth a little bit. Forgive me if any of the characters are a bit off, some of them I haven't written in a while.**

 **Enjoy!**

As Mike sat there, disheartened, in pain, unsure what to do, he wondered what the dance was like for everyone else who was able to attend. He would hear about all of it later, right now he tried to think.

His friends were attending, of course. Duncan and Zoey were going together and looking ever so the married couple that they were as they approached the front doors of the familiar palace. "Do you think he'll be here?" Zoey asked her husband quietly. Her dress was a nice red and her hair was out in waves, pinned back on one side by a flower.

"I hope so," Duncan replied in the same tone. He wore a simple black and green suit. His facial hair had grown out more; he was sporting a small beard and goatee. "Manitoba said he looked awful last time they ran into each other."

"Let's keep an eye out…" The two showed their invitation at the front and entered.

The royal important people who have been absent for eight or nine chapters were in a raised space above the large ballroom.

Topher seemed excited and also was nervously fixing his hair and blue jacket every few minutes. Sky was bored right now but was mostly interested in the dancing portion of the evening that wouldn't come for a while, and not the meeting of all the people coming in to try and impress her dad. Ella sat next to her sister and hummed to the music being played by an orchestra across the way while she watched the guests file in. All three had grown in the past year. The girls were even more beautiful and their father, who was currently chatting with some of the people running things for him, was impatient to get them some partners. As for Topher...he stayed about the same, though his voice had gotten lower.

Mike's other friends were attending too, at least the ones who had done that year's show. Mani, Trent, Dakota, Brick, all came on their own but met up at the front and entered together. Brick and Dakota seemed to be walking closer together.

Noah, Scott and Vito arrived later. Noah was determined to get Scott and Vito an audience and so he split from them at the gate and went scouting for someone. The two of them, meanwhile, roamed the ballroom.

Now back to Mike.

After sitting for a good while and his pain had partly subsided, he stood up and walked slowly through the house, wincing every few steps.

Something caught his eye as he did this. Noah's bedroom door was cracked open. He went over and peeked inside, then saw his bag sitting under the bed. He entered carefully and crept over. Bending down was hard and painful but Mike grabbed the bag and opened it up. His stuff was all inside, intact. Mike almost smiled. However, he knew he couldn't wear it. If he went in the whole outfit, he was bound to be noticed by Noah and Scott and subsequently forced to leave. He soon figured that he could take pieces of it and try to figure something out within the house. He got to work.

About half an hour later Mike checked himself in the mirror. The outfit he'd put together wasn't terrible. However, he still had a bit more to do.

The main thing to tackle now was disguising his face. The scars and bruises were easily recognizable, as was his spiky hair. He looked in the mirror and started brushing his fingers through his hair until it draped down. Already he was reminded of Mal. He moved his hair so it was over one side of his face, covering the deformities. He took a deep breath in and out as he stared at himself for a few minutes, as if he'd seen a ghost, then headed towards the front door. He'd be walking.

Meanwhile, the suitors were being introduced to the royals for inspection. Sky, Ella, and Topher hadn't been impressed so far.

After Noah had pulled strings to get them an audience, Scott introduced himself to the trio and then Vito pushed him aside to make his own introduction. Topher laughed to himself as the two started arguing and fighting in front of them. Sky rolled her eyes and Ella was just concerned. Noah dragged them away and began to scold them. "This can't get much worse, right?..." Sky asked her sister, clearly bored and annoyed.

"No, it will get much better soon, I'm sure…" Ella tried to convince her, though she was uncertain too. "After all, the dancing will begin in a few minutes!" She smiled.

"I guess that's true…" Sky adjusted her dress. "Hopefully whoever I end up dancing with isn't completely terrible at it."

"You can always dance with me, Sky!" Topher pointed out with a toothy smile. He wasn't a great dancer and she knew it.

"...that's my last resort," Sky said with a small frown.

 **Mike will arrive next chapter :P that should be fun.**

 **Please review if you have anything to say about this. See ya next time :)**


	27. Chapter 27(getting inside and dancing)

**A/N: update!**

 **this one was haaaaard and took a while to figure out(it's definitely not perfect). I tried my best while writing Sky and Ella more than normal(this is the most I've written either one of them ever for anything) so apologies for any weirdness in that area.**

 **Enjoy!**

Mike had to take frequent breaks as he walked towards the palace, because his leg hurt and he felt tired. He decided he wouldn't stay long, just long enough to go and maybe see his friends that he knew would be there.

The sky was starting to darken by the time he arrived. Mike tried just walking in.

"Hey!" A familiar voice called out. "Where's your invite?"

Mike looked. It was that blonde woman he'd seen in the woods last year, the one who'd been searching for Ella. She appeared to be guarding the door. "I thought everyone was invited…?" he replied.

"Sure, but the invite's your ticket inside," the guard replied.

"Oh...um, sorry, my stepfamily is in there and I fell behind getting ready," Mike claimed.

"Right, like I'll believe that," the guard said with a frown.

"Come on, please? I'm telling the truth," Mike insisted.

"No invite, no entry. That's the deal," the guard remarked, looking him over briefly. "So go away."

Mike almost tried one more time but some other people had arrived and he had to step back to let them pass. One seemed to know the guard and addressed her by her name. After they were admitted Mike looked at the guard once again. "Please," he said, almost begging. "I won't stay for long."

" _No._ "

Mike looked towards the ground. He'd come so far to get thrown out at the gate. Typical

"Tell me that ain't who I think it is!" Another familiar voice exclaimed from behind Mike. He turned to look, and he was surprised to see Leshawna there, locked elbows with that orange haired guy from that band at last year's festival. He weakly smiled.

Leshawna looked him over. "Honey, who in their right mind put you in that outfit?"

"I did...it's a long story," Mike explained quietly.

"Dude, you look like, not so hot," Leshawna's date remarked.

He told them not to worry about that, and that he'd lost his invitation.

"They not letting you in?" Leshawna looked over at the guard. "Hey! This boy's with us two." She showed her invite.

"Okay then, go in," the guard replied.

Leshawna nodded at her and she and her date headed inside while Mike hesitated slightly despite himself. He worried over a bunch of things in those minutes.

"Are you going in or what?" the guard asked him impatiently. "You might miss the first dances."

Mike heard this, snapped out of his daze, and hurried inside.

He'd barely made it inside for the start of the dance. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Princesses Sky and Ella and the Prince Topher will now each choose a partner to begin the first dance," a herald had decreed. The three had been on the dance floor, waiting, after the suitor train had passed through. Sky had no clue who she'd dance with, Ella as well. Topher didn't seem to care.

"Princess Ella," the herald then added, "shall go first."

This was when Mike entered. The entrance was designed so that everyone could see him enter. All stared at him, going silent. He looked around, taking it all in, and his eye fell on Ella. She looked at him as everyone did. Both their minds went back to their one encounter. She was surprised to see him in the state he was in, as everyone else who recognized him was-very few at first. This did not include his stepfamily.

Sky elbowed her sister. "Pick someone," she whispered impatiently.

Ella blinked. "Oh, uh, hm…" She tore her gaze off Mike and looked around the room. "You there." She pointed to a younger boy in a blue and white coat. He had tan skin similar to Mike, though his hair was much shorter and neater.

The boy glanced to the side. "Um, you washed your gloves before this, right?"

"Of course," Ella replied before she and the boy shared a rather awkward dance.

Mike came down the stairs silently as the dancing commenced. Somehow he got pulled in and wound up dancing with Sky, who looked him over analytically the whole time, as was the king and everyone else in the room. Mike did his best to hide how much pain he was in as he moved; he still moved with grace and control, impressing Sky.

Noah narrowed his eyes when he saw Mike dancing with one of the princesses but said nothing, for now.

"Weren't you in that show last year?" Sky asked Mike after having a feeling of recognition.

"I was in _a_ show…" Mike replied.

"You were the old man," Sky realized.

"...yes, that was me," Mike confirmed with a small nod.

"But you weren't there when we met you all...?" Sky continued, still remembering things.

"I had to step out, for, um...personal reasons," Mike claimed.

"Right...well, we were all disappointed not getting to meet you then, especially Ella," Sky admitted. During this part of the conversation Mike was spinning her. Her dress swished around.

"I was disappointed too," Mike replied as he finished spinning her. He had more sadness in his voice than he realized at the time.

Sky was silent and recalled just a few minutes earlier when her sister had locked eyes with Mike. "As much as I'm not mad at how well you're dancing I have a feeling I wasn't your first choice," she remarked quietly.

"You approached me, Princess," Mike pointed out. "And I wouldn't have turned you down even if you weren't royalty."

"I'm willing to bet you'd rather be dancing with my sister."

Mike glanced to the side. "I don't have any real preference," he claimed.

"...as if I'll believe that." Sky glanced over towards Ella and the boy she was dancing with. They appeared to be moving rather awkwardly. Sky then looked back at Mike. "I'm going to get her to switch partners with me. She's dying over there. Don't mess this up."

Mike looked at her with surprise but before he could protest Sky had taken the lead and the two were soon beside the other couple. During a moment where the song sped up and the girls were spun, Sky gave her sister a slight push away from her current partner, causing Ella to lose her balance.

Mike managed to catch her and get her back on her feet. She was a bit shocked at first. "Sky-" Ella tried speaking to her but Sky had already gone off with the other boy.

The boy appeared just as shocked and confused, but seemingly awed at the same time while Sky led him through more of the dance.

After giving up on asking her sister anything, Ella turned her head and looked up at Mike. He looked back down at her and they just danced for a few more minutes before Ella spoke. "I...never expected that when I saw you again you would look so...pardon me when I say it...dreadful," she remarked quietly as she took in Mike's appearance more closely. She seemed concerned.

It was getting harder for Mike to hide his pain, increasing every moment as he kept dancing. "Everyone has a bad day sometimes," he claimed, attempting to brush it off before wincing rather intensely from a sharp pain in his leg.

"You shouldn't be dancing if it's hurting you…"

"Don't worry. I've felt much worse," he assured her quietly.

Ella gave him a look that was hard to read, took his hand and led him off the dance floor and out of the ballroom altogether.

 **Please review if you feel so moved. See ya next time :)**


	28. Chapter 28(courtyard chat)

**A/N: updateeeeeee**

 **Not gonna say too much. I was trying not to rush them. I hope everyone's in character :P**

 **Enjoy!**

The two ended up in a courtyard with a fountain in the middle, flowering plants around the edges and benches lining the path between. Ella sat Mike down on one of the benches. Mike looked up at her with his uncovered eye. His leg pain continued and his whole body felt heavy from exhaustion.

Ella sat down beside him, making sure her dress wasn't in a weird position. She met his gaze again. "...I've thought about you a lot," she admitted, "since we last met."

"Really?..." Mike hadn't expected her to say that.

Ella nodded. "It was nice to sing with someone else...not many around the castle appreciate my voice the way you did. I'd hoped we could do it again, eventually."

Mike tried smiling at that but it ended up a grimace because of his current physical state.

"Why is your hair covering your face?" Ella suddenly asked out of nowhere.

Mike's expression shifted and he tried to come up with an explanation but there wasn't really a good one. He just looked at the ground and then reached a hand up, brushing aside the hair so she could see the damaged side of his face.

Ella placed a hand over her mouth with a slight gasp, shocked and worried once again.

After a few moments Mike moved his hair back and sighed.

Ella wasn't sure what to say or do.

"...I...I think I should go," Mike said after some silence.

"Why? You just arrived, it's still early in the night…"

"It's not a good idea for me to stay…I shouldn't have come in the first place."

"Now that's not true. Stay for a little longer. Please?" Ella asked.

Mike looked at her again. "...okay, but I'm not dancing again," he conceded.

"I wouldn't dream of making you," she assured him. She tried to think of something. "I could show you around a small part the palace." Not the best idea.

Mike didn't really want to walk but he replied, "Okay."

Ella stood up again and took his hand. Mike stood up painfully and he let her lead him out of the courtyard, through a different door than the one they'd come in from.

The two spent a short amount of time walking through the empty parts of the palace, Ella pointing out what was what to Mike while he listened, focusing more on her than his surroundings. Soon they circled back to the doors of the ballroom and at this point Mike was hardly moving. He ended up collapsing onto another bench. "I'm going to go in very quickly, to see how it's going," Ella told him as she opened the door.

Mike nodded weakly, leaning back into the wall.

Ella opened the door to the ballroom and was immediately grabbed by her sister. "We're supposed to stand next to father. He's gonna give a speech," Sky told her. She then glanced around. "Where's that boy you want to marry?" she asked half jokingly.

Ella blushed. "He's just a friend…"

"If you don't want to get paired with one of those annoying creeps in that ballroom you'd better get him in here."

"But I can't…he's hurting and needs to rest." She felt bad for proposing and doing something that made him hurt even more.

"Get him a cane or something. Figure it out," Sky replied.

Mike couldn't really hear them.

"I...I will think of something," Ella conceded. She then left the room again and looked down at Mike. "Can you stand?" she asked quietly.

"...you know that I can't…" Mike replied slowly, confused.

"I do, I'm sorry, I just...I need to get you inside," Ella explained the situation.

"If I could then I would help you, princess, but I really can't do anything like this…" Mike replied weakly.

Ella didn't know what to do.

Sky opened the door and grabbed her sister. "Sorry, time's up," she said. "Gotta go." She got a glance at Mike. "We'll deal with you later." She pulled Ella back into the hall to her protest. She looked at Mike and he could onot watch her go.

 **See ya next update, thanks for reading :)**


	29. Chapter 29(royal chatter)

**A/N: heeeeeeeeeello. New chapter, pretty cool right?**

 **I wouldn't say this is a bad chapter but it's not one of my favorites tbh. Still, an important one.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

Based on what Mike could hear from his spot outside the room and the details recounted to him later, Sky dragged Ella back to the balcony above the dance floor. "There you are," their father said. "Finally, I can get this show started!" He grinned and turned to the people beneath him. "I'd like to thank every single one of you for coming to this little event...but that would take too long!" He laughed at his own joke.

A few nervous laughs and a couple of hidden eye rolls from the crowd followed.

The king talked for about five minutes about the importance of this dance, the festival, blah blah blah...then came the important bits.

"Of course, tonight is extra extra important because my two daughters will _hopefully_ be securing someone to get married to...preferably someone important," that last bit was mostly spoken to them. "And my nephew too, I guess," he added as an afterthought.

Topher grinned at the mention of himself.

"Please continue enjoying tonight, and don't cry if you're not picked!" The king bowed slightly. "The announcement will be made around midnight, so very soon. That is all."

The crowd clapped briefly.

The king turned to his offspring. "You two got more dirt on some of those guys, right? And have one in mind? This cost too much to not have been a success," he asked his daughters.

"Possibly…" Sky replied. "Hard to say after one dance."

The king sighed dramatically. "How about that guy with the short hair? You were dancing with him awhile, you had to have heard some things...is he at least somewhat important?"

"His dad's a lord that doesn't really like you, I think...kid kept asking if I'd washed my hands."

"He sounds perfect! Show his dad who's the boss around here..."

Sky blinked. "Okay then," she replied.

"What about you and that tall guy?" The king asked Ella.

Ella faintly blushed. "Well, there's something there, I think...he's very nice," she admitted.

"If he's important, great! If not, I don't care!" The king looked over at the ballroom and was unable to spot Mike. "Hey, where is he?"

"Um...in the hall," Ella explained, not wanting to lie. "He...became a bit tired, and needed a break." Understatement of the century.

"Ah, makes sense...I'd take a break if I could but I can't so I can't whine now can I?"

The two sisters glanced at each other. "...sure," Sky replied.

The king clapped his hands together twice. "Get back out there. Ella, keep it up with that guy-see if he's actually important. Sky, pester that lord's kid some more. Topher...I don't really care, honestly. Go find someone to dance with, at least!"

The four split off. Ella got swept up in the dances again, and had to dance with Vito for a time because he was closest and he saw the oppurtunity. She didn't enjoy it, he wasn't nearly as good a dancer as Mike.

After a long time of being unable to pull away and out of the ballroom, she went back to the hallway, about to apologize to Mike. Only, she was unable to. Instead she gasped and called down the hall, "Hey! C-Come back!"

Whoever she was calling to looked at her once before disappearing from her view, taking Mike with them.

 **Cliffhangerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. OOf.**

 **I'm just going to throw in a small self promo here: in case any of you reading are interested and haven't seen yet, I wrote a little prequel-ish one shot to this fic called Bush Cat. You can find it on my profile, it's near the top of the list under updated as of posting this.**

 **Thanks for reading, and see ya next chapter :)**


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